"Marina" by Jesse Byrd is a charming children's book that emphasizes the importance of recycling and encourages kids to take responsibility for the planet. The story cleverly conveys the message that our actions have consequences, teaching young readers about the impact of recycling on the environment. With vibrant illustrations that enhance the visual experience, the book engages children in a fun and educational journey. "Marina" effectively communicates the concept of environmental responsibility, making it an enjoyable and valuable read for kids. Through its combination of a meaningful message and captivating visuals, the book encourages children to understand the significance of their actions in maintaining a healthier and cleaner world.

When Marina throws a single-use plastic wrapper on the beach it begins a journey that has consequences for sea life until it reappears back on the beach alerting Marina and her family to the effects of single-use plastics and ocean pollution.

I wanted to love Marina by Jesse Byrd, especially because that's my name, but I just couldn't.
While I was excited about the premise, the execution fell flat. Marina did everything right when she threw her plastic in the trash, yet, it still ended up where it wasn't supposed to be. It seemed like we were criticizing something, the intended reader had no hope of changing on their own, which makes kids feel hopeless and helpless, not motivated. Unfortunately I couldn't help but feel like we were preaching to the wrong audience here.
On a positive note, I did enjoy the artwork!

A cute picture featuring Marina who learns about plastics and what it's doing to the earth and things that she can do to help change that.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This story was so cute, for a start. I thought it would be a perfect book for my niece first, because it teaches an important lesson about taking care of the oceans and of our planet in general, which has been important to me since I was her age, but also because Marina looks like her, and she always loves to see a little girl who looks like her in a movie or on the cover of a book. It was a sweet, simple, easy to follow story about what happens when our trash--specifically plastic trash--isn't disposed of properly and how, even then, it isn't good for the environment, and I love how easy to digest it made such a complex issue so even my niece at five years old could understand how big a deal that was.

The illustrations were beautiful and exciting to look at, Marina and her parents were so cute in the few moments we got to see them in the story, and I was in love with how many facts and lessons were included in the back of the book after the story was finished because I got to share that with not only my niece, but my two nephews as well, and I love the thought of a book being used to teach kids something important about protecting the planet even as they get to have a good time reading. In fact, I loved it so much that I already went and bought a physical copy for the kids to keep at home and read whenever they want, and my niece still reads it at least two or three times a week.

The picture book format and rhyming verse tells of the journey a plastic bag takes even if we think we've thrown it "away". The illustrator did a good job drawing connections to the plastic garbage that is swirling in the ocean, and the author cited real concerns of having plastic in the ocean.

Overall, I think this book sends the message that we need to use better alternatives to plastic, but it isn't preachy in it's execution. I think the message is just right and it will be a useful tool in educating children about plastics vs. biodegradable materials.

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
The book follows plastic from Marina's lunch as it ends up in the ocean. It ends with showing options for using less plastic. The book did a good job of getting its point across but lacked on story.

A simply necessary lesson, simply told – this shows a girl who thinks she likes her duties in life, but discovers a bit of plastic trash that she discarded a long time ago, washed up on the shore. We have been privy to all the wildlife it's floated past in its journey from windswept dump to holiday beach, and so as all that nature was threatened by it she decides to cut out single-use plastic. Made almost a frustrating read from the way some of the narrative wants to be rhymed, this is still a useful early guide to the perils of aquatic plastics and nature conservancy. But I fear I could imagine improvements here – so three and a half stars it is.

Very sweet and informative book about ocean plastic. It starts as a nice family story, but then we follow a piece of plastic and its journey to the ocean.

The illustrations are lovely and fun.

The book ends with a lot of information made easy to understand for kid about plastic and the environment.

This was a really great recycling book about what happens to your trash when you throw it away and it doesn't make it to the landfill.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Marina is for children ages 4-7 years old. It helps children learn to begin to be aware of how their actions influence the planet. There are age appropriate suggestions provided at the end of the book.

I thought this was a nicely illustrated book about ocean pollution, and I do think this is an appropriate topic for children. However, I do agree with others that children may not always have much choice in what products are available or affordable for them to use. Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book for review!

Marina is a beautifully illustrated children's book with an important message about the environmental impact of plastic waste. Through the story of Marina and her encounter with a plastic wrapper, author Jesse Byrd creates a relatable and engaging tale that encourages children to be mindful of their actions and their impact on the planet.

The book follows Marina as she discards a plastic wrapper on her sandwich, unaware of the journey it takes and the harm it causes to various sea creatures. The story takes a poignant turn as the plastic eventually washes up on a beach where Marina is playing, forcing her to confront the consequences of her actions. This moment becomes a turning point for Marina as she decides to take action and learn more about how she can make a positive difference.

The illustrations in Marina are vivid and eye-catching, making the book an engaging read for children. Additionally, the book includes a helpful guide at the end with tips for reducing plastic waste and encouraging sustainable practices, making it an excellent educational resource for parents and teachers.

Overall, Marina is a thought-provoking and inspiring book that effectively raises awareness about the impact of plastic waste on our environment. It encourages young readers to take responsibility for their actions and become advocates for change, making it a valuable addition to any children's library.

I am so appreciative for the opportunity to read and review this picture book on ocean pollution. I think it has a great message and sweet illustrations, but is not appropriate for all readers.

I have worked at an outdoor education centre that asked families to bring "litterless lunches" but the reality is that some families do not have the time, money, or resources to eliminate single-use plastics. Children are not packing their own lunches or buying groceries, and have little impact on whether their parents choose to make homemade granola bars packed in reusable containers or send them with a packaged granola bar. In both cases, the parents are doing their best to feed their kids. Raising the issue of single-use plastics to children who are not in control of what products they consume, especially in a group setting, can create feelings of shame and embarrassment for the kids who were sent to school or camp with plastic. Do I think that single-use plastics are good for the planet? Of course not. But the responsibility to make food more accessible and affordable lies with CEOs and not little kids.

I appreciate that the author included suggestions for ways that kids can take action, but thought it was confusing that there is a suggestion to put garbage where it belongs in the trash, as this is exactly what Marina did. By these standards, Marina took all the action in her control to prevent pollution and still couldn't stop it. I also think that paper bags were a strange alternative to plastic, rather than a reusable item. If Marina had thrown out a paper bag, it just would have been eaten by an animal in the ocean.

I think this story is great for families who have the economic access to reusable lunch containers and will inspire kids to be leaders in their communities. For kids whose families have economic barriers to reusable containers, I feel this book will lead to shame and guilt.

A cute story about plastic and the ocean. This was a cute and understandable book that teaches kids the dangers of what happens if plastic ends up in the ocean.

When I was in the classroom, April was all about the environment. With Earth Day at the end of the month, it seems like the perfect time to introduce the concepts of recycling, taking care of the world around us, nature, and more.

This book gives a very creative storyline of what happens to single-use plastic that ends up in the ocean. Kids will actually get to see cute animals throughout the book and how the plastic interrupts their life. That makes it so much more meaningful than just saying that plastic in the ocean is bad for Fishies.

In the book, Marina gets inspired to make some positive changes and you’ll actually discuss some switches they make at the end of the book. And then it gives you some infographics to use with your class and it gives ideas of what you could start doing. Use this to launch your discussion for Earth Day this year 👏🏻👏🏻

This book was difficult to read with the word “FOR Review” on every page. I have read a ton of books and that was a first. Very unpleasant.

The story seemed to take up very little space in the book, many of the pages following the bag. My kids lost interest unfortunately. I think more substance could be added to the story.

In this book, Marina discovered how her plastic could still affect the ocean life, even though she threw it in the bin. It's an interesting way of educating the kids about pollution and waste, with lovely illustration of ocean life and also great facts at the end of the book about plastic consumption and pollution.

At my daughters last parent teacher interview at preschool she was described as being “quite the little environmentalist” so when I saw this book on NetGalley I knew I had to get it for her. This story showed how easily plastic can end up in our oceans despite our best efforts while also keeping it kid friendly. It also gave some ideas on how kids can do their part to help. The end of the book gives some interesting yet also disturbing facts about plastic and our oceans. Definitely an eye opening book, even for adults!

Thank you to Baker & Taylor, Paw Prints Publishing, and NetGalley for the e-ARC to read and review. I really appreciated what this book is doing, and showing readers how a bit of plastic can go so far and do so much more harm than we could imagine, even after we're done with it. (Just because a bottle or a wrapper is out of our sight, doesn't mean it's been properly recycled and on to its next life!) I always look out for my anxious little readers though, (because I always was one!) and I'm worried about the worries this one may leave behind. We see our main character, Marina, throwing away her plastic wrapper the "right" way - she tosses it into the bin and not into the ocean or anything. It gets taken away with curbside pickup and still manages to end up in the water and in the way of sea life it could harm. That's unfortunately very true, and even with our best efforts, we may still not be able to ensure our plastics get to where we think they're going. I do see how the story circles it back to recommending to do better than what we've previously considered "our best," and use of more sustainable options in the first place, but I do think the anxious young reader in me (and in my life) would walk away thinking even trying to be responsible about recycling items is just about as good as tossing bottles directly into a whale's mouth.