THE S.O.U.R.C.E.

With magical and human help, sea creatures spread the word about ocean pollution in this book for children and tweens.

Guided by a majestic Sea Spirit, a pelican and his marine mammal friends team up with concerned humans to send a universal message about the devastating effects of pollution on the world’s oceans. Avoiding preachiness with a mix of humor, lively animal characters, and empathy, this thoughtful work opens with a cliffhanger as young skateboarding champions Sky Ryder and Silk are swept off a jetty by monster waves after a visit to the Ocean World Marine Mammal Entertainment Park. Their fate remains unknown for several chapters as the narrative flashes back to Ocean World several months before. There, pelican Duster, his sea lion friend Jaxx, and an orphaned gray whale named Nikki make a plan to help three injured newcomers—Rio the orca, Bubba the beluga whale, and baby sea otter Patches—escape Ocean World’s veterinary hospital and find their families. (The creatures’ injuries were all caused by ocean pollution: Plastic damaged Duster’s beak; fishing wire scarred Jaxx; Rio, sick from pollutants, was hit by a boat; Bubba got tangled in fishing netting; and Patches lost fur to burning tar.) Following a daring escape by the six animals, Ryder and Silk encounter the mystical Sea Spirit and return to the plot. Now, the humans and animals are tasked with communicating to the world the need to take action against the pollution threatening “The Source”: “All of the oceans, seas, and waterways around the world that feed all life.” Helped by a sympathetic reporter, the Sea Spirit’s playful sister, and social media–savvy children, Duster and his friends overcome fraught challenges to get the word out (and Ocean World shifts its mission from entertainment to cetacean sanctuary). Royse ends with a comprehensive list of websites for readers to explore ocean conservation, aquatic life, recycling, and pollution facts. The illustrations by prolific children’s book artists Gershman and Chang are beautifully rendered in pencil and alive with realistic details, from the animal and diverse human characters and the sea dragon–like Sea Spirit and her sister to the poignant, fact-based images of the toll human pollution takes on ocean life.

An environmental tale with appealing animal characters, an action-packed plot, and striking illustrations.