Ocean One: Only One Ocean...Only One Chance

Have you ever wondered what happens to plastic items once they have been used? How do abandoned fishing nets, known as ghost nets, float aimlessly in the ocean to forever haunt us? Where do balloons go after you have released it from your grasp? Ocean One tells the story of a unique place on Earth that is profoundly affected by the impact of marine debris. Travel with Edward to Kure Atoll, located in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, where he learns the impact has far-reaching consequences that affects each of us.

From Reader's FavoriteEileen Clancy Biegel's environmental science children's storybook, Ocean One: Only One Ocean, Only One Chance, is a well-written and informative book about the devastating impact of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre, a system of ocean currents, which gathers plastic or other human refuse in its path and deposits it in the Kure Atoll, which is part of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument. Edward's travels on the ground and his work as a volunteer in the ocean bring him and Biegel's young readers into direct contact with the netting, discarded fishing lines and other marine debris that is killing off marine mammals and other marine life. 

This informative story shows the stunning impact that even a plastic bag or toy balloon left carelessly on the ground can have on a marine tortoise or harp seal thousands of miles away. Biegel introduces environmental science in a clear and uncomplicated manner that makes it accessible to young readers, and gives them a call to action for what they can do in their everyday lives. She includes a Marine Debris Degradation Timeline which includes some rather startling statistics and introduces NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries, including a link to the NOAA sanctuaries page. Sue Lynn Cotton's watercolor illustrations are outstanding. Her inspired use of washes and color selections, and her skillfully portrayed images of the atoll and its denizens make Edward's experiences on the atoll come to life. I especially appreciated her drawings of nesting albatrosses, tortoises and marine mammals. Many of her panels are suitable for framing and hanging on a child's bedroom wall. Ocean One: Only One Ocean, Only One Chance approaches a serious subject in an engaging manner, and it shows kids why they should care and how they can get involved. It's most highly recommended. - Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

From Midwest Book Review/Children's Bookwatch Informatively written by Eileen Clancy Biegel and compellingly illustrated by SueLynn Cotton, for children in grades K-6, Ocean One: Only One Ocean...Only One Chance addresses such questions as: What happens to plastic items once they have been used? How do abandoned fishing nets, known as ghost nets, float aimlessly in the ocean? Where do balloons go after they have released into the air? Ocean One deftly tells the story of a unique place on Earth that is profoundly affected by the impact of marine debris. Young readers will go along with a young boy named Edward as he flies to Kure Atoll, located in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, where he learns the impact has far-reaching consequences that affects each of us. As informative and thought-provoking as it is original and entertaining, Ocean One is a picture book that is especially and very highly recommended for family, elementary school, and community library collections for young readers.