Monday, January 18, 2021

Planet Ocean by Patricia Newman, photographs by Annie Crawley

 Newman has combined science and the ocean in several previous books and this latest explores the connectivity of the world's oceans and the impact of humans. I read this as an ebook, not a hard copy, and I prefer hard copies for review (as do most of my readers) so I didn't get the same feel from it, but it was pretty accessible - I read a pdf on my computer.

Annie Crawley, underwater photographer and advocate for the ocean, collaborates with Newman to explore three very different, but connected parts of the ocean and in each focus on the experiences and perspectives of indigenous people who depend on the ocean.

The first ocean area is the coral triangle, focusing on the experiences of Angelique Batuna, whose family runs a tourist destination and educates both tourists and locals, on an island in Indonesia. Newman explores the science of coral and how it affects and is affected by human activity. The second ocean area is the Salish sea, in the Pacific northwest. The focus here is on Dana Wilson of the Lummi Nation, who speaks in support of the rapidly disappearing salmon. The third section is based in the Arctic, and focuses on the advocacy of George Edwardson, an elder of the Inupiat community, who sees not only their culture but their physical land disappearing in the rapidly melting ice.

Throughout these sections, Newman includes interviews with Annie Crawley, numerous interviews and profiles of young people who are active in their efforts to explore and protect the oceans, as well as a solid scientific element explaining acidification, noise pollution, and the connections between each area of the ocean as well as affects on human lives on land.

The final sections of the book include tips on creating your own photographic story, suggestions for a no-waste lifestyle, glossary, notes, sources, and bibliography. 

The discussion of the ocean areas and the science was fascinating. It was presented very simply, focusing on the stories of the people involved, and would make a good introduction for upper elementary or middle school kids to deepen their understanding of this vital part of our planet. 

However, as I often do in books with a conservation or ecological impact theme, I find myself frustrated with the lack of relevance to my own particular population. While I certainly do have many young readers whose families are financially secure and have the ability to focus on things like a zero waste lifestyle, healthy, plant-based meals, and reducing their carbon footprint, a much larger portion of my audience is not in a position to do so. I'd prefer to focus on the earlier parts of the book, which discuss the wider impact of politics and business, rather than suggesting that if kids just lived a zero waste lifestyle (something most have no control over, even assuming it was financially possible) they could save the ocean. There's also another aspect to this all-too-familiar list of suggestions, in that the disabled population is left out of the equation entirely.

This isn't necessarily a critique of this book in particular - especially in the main portions of the book Newman does a good job of showing that it takes more than just one individual to effect change and many of the young people whose stories she tells were unsuccessful in their efforts or had to wait until they were legal adults, had support from adults, or are part of the stories of their community as a whole. I appreciated that she focused on the stories of indigenous and local people, showing how their small efforts were important to the wider community as a whole. It's more a commentary on the level of privilege that is often assumed in the audience of books addressing environmental issues. This comic on Instagram from Rosemary Mosco addresses some of this.

Verdict: This is a clear and simple introduction to the current state of the ocean, how it affects all of us, and a good way to explain things kids may see on the news or not be aware of at all. Recommended to readers who enjoyed Newman's previous work, to teachers wanting to include a broader view of current events and environmental change, and to students interested in science and the ocean.

ISBN: 9781541581210; Published March 2021 by Millbrook/Lerner; Reviewed from an ebook provided by the author; Included in my annual Lerner order

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