Washed Ashore: Making Art from Ocean Plastic

Gr 2-5--Vibrant, crisp photographs of 14 sea creatures sculpted from recycled plastic are only the beginning of this engaging book. The sculptures were created to travel around the country to educate people about the multiple threats posed by our plastic trash. Each spread includes fascinating facts about an animal along with common sense actions that even kids can take to reduce the pollution of our oceans. A seek-and-find feature adds an extra layer of engagement while also highlighting just how many ways we incorporate plastic into our lives. Back matter includes instructions on how to organize a plastic scavenger hunt, an explanation of how the sculptures in the book were made, and a flowchart that lays out the consequences of drinking tap water vs. water from a plastic bottle. VERDICT A visually and factually compelling call to environmental action that will speak to children.--Jan Aldrich Solow

Artist Angela Haseltine Pozzi saw a problem, took action, and now uses her work to educate others, something readers might be inspired to do by this book. Introductory pages describe how Pozzi saw trash on the beach near her Oregon town and enlisted the help of locals to gather it and create giant sculptures of marine animals. Pozzi then created Washed Ashore, an organization that teaches youngsters how trash harms marine animals. Following the introduction, Crull introduces readers to 14 of the sculptures created by Pozzi and her volunteers, such as a giant Pacific octopus, a rockhopper penguin, and a sea jelly. Clear, close-up photographs show the creations looking fascinating but also suitably forlorn. Each is accompanied by details on the animal in question, how it is endangered by garbage, and how to help—easy-to-implement tips include, for example, eating ice cream from a cone rather than using a plastic spoon. Readers at the younger end of the grade range will enjoy searching the images for the items shown beneath each photo and learning how to make their own art from trash, while a section of more advanced activities, such as keeping a field journal, might appeal more to older students. An excellent work on an unusual topic and a must for school and library shelves.—starred, Booklist