The Ocean Protectors

A pair of enterprising sisters work to save a dying coral reef in Williamson’s picture book.

Sisters Sadie and Josie worked to remove plastic from the ocean in Island Girls: Free the Sea of Plastic (2022), but they didn’t stop there; in this new title, the two blonde, white-skinned girls are called upon to rescue Coral Gardens Cove, one of their favorite places to dive. They are shocked to find that all of the fish have moved away and that all of the coral has turned white from a process called bleaching. (“‘This isn’t Coral Gardens… it’s Coral Graveyards!’ Josie said.”) Sadie and her sister begin to advocate for the reef within their community. They encourage their neighbors to practice environmentally friendly habits like cleaning up the beaches and riding bikes instead of cars. Progress is slow, but over time the girls see the results of their work as the coral reef begins to heal. Williamson tackles a deeply important ecological issue in a suitably child-friendly way. While coral restoration may take longer and require more global action than depicted in the book, this introduction to the basic facts of the problem will encourage readers to learn more. Holovchenko’s watercolor illustrations take a realistic approach that is mediated by her inclusion of a teddy bear, books, and other human objects belonging to the fish.

A simple but solid introduction to the crisis of coral bleaching for early elementary readers.