Review by Booklist Review
Plastic surrounds us. Humans manufacture 300 tons of plastic worldwide per year, throwing out much of it after a single use. Its harmful effects on the environment and animals are now being understood. Here, Blom and Gabrielsen present the overwhelming evidence on how human wastefulness and thoughtlessness are killing or maiming sea life. The authors present their subject by following a mated pair of Northern Fulmars, sea birds that breed in the northern Atlantic and have a life expectancy of about 40 years. As the birds search for food, they ingest small fish and bits of plastic, which can clog their digestive tracts or poison the fish they eat. The balanced combination of brightly colored photographs and large-font text brings the worldwide plastics problem to a generation of readers who might implore adults to tackle the plastics problem or take action themselves. Charts, graphs, and startling statistics enhance the text, which takes care to end with an upbeat message of activism and positive change. A must-have STEM book for parents and libraries.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2--4--This short narrative about a Northern Fulmar seabird searching for food provides a simple introduction to the history of plastic and plastic pollution. From the opening narrative to the detailed look at how plastic impacts ocean environments and its habitants, the text effectively describes the dangers of plastic pollution and lists ways to prevent further damage to the planet. Blom uses data to explain how long materials take to biodegrade, how the diets of creatures are being affected, and what these products are doing to the environment. Elementary students will be able to understand the abundance of information. Vivid, full-color photographs show examples of the plastics and trash that pollute Earth's water sources, as well as the wildlife that comes in contact with this pollution and the people who are working to clean it. Some photos are more intense than others and might be disturbing to a very young audience. However, they support the title's mission of raising awareness of the dangers of pollution to all ecosystems. Suggestions on how to prevent pollution keep the text from seeming too pessimistic, and offer ideas for actions to implement at home and in one's community. VERDICT A great presentation, interesting photographs, and accessible calls to action make the author's conservation message particularly strong.--Thomas Jonte, Pensacola State College, FL
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
The problem of plastics in the ocean is worldwide in scope, but it can be addressed by individuals. This disturbing but somewhat hopeful account of an increasingly pressing environmental concern caused by humans is framed by the experience of a pair of northern fulmars, Canadian seabirds. An opening section introduces the fulmars, feeding and raising their family, and recounts the death of the female due to plastic ingestion. The second addresses the problem this useful material has created in our oceans, from the visible trash to microplastics and toxins in sea creatures and the water around them as well as the garbage whirlpools forming in our oceans. A third section suggests ways readers can help and gives examples of progress. A final spread describes the lone male, displaced from his nest but soaring off to find a new mate. The text is clearly organized, usually one topic to a spread. The large, generously set type makes this discomfiting text more accessible. There are striking, memorable photographs and vignettes and some full-bleed full-page and full, wordless double-page spreads. This effective presentation is the joint work of a versatile Norwegian writer and the Norwegian representative to the United Nations Environment Program in the area of marine litter. It was first published in Norway in 2016 and has been smoothly translated for this American edition. A clear explanation of a pressing problem and an invitation to take action. (word list) (Nonfiction. 9-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
