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