Planet Ocean: Why We All Need a Healthy Ocean

by Patricia Newman, Annie Crawley (Photographs)

Books like this one help lead the way to a better climate future for all inhabitants of Mother Earth. We are all in this together! -- Jeff Bridges, Academy Award winner and environmentalist



A little more than 70 percent of Planet Earth is ocean. So wouldn't a better name for our global home be Planet Ocean?

You may be surprised at just how closely YOU are connected to the ocean. Regardless of where you live, every breath you take and every drop of water you drink links you to the ocean. And because of this connection, the ocean's health affects all of us.

Dive in with author Patricia Newman and photographer Annie Crawley--visit the Coral Triangle near Indonesia, the Salish Sea in the Pacific Northwest, and the Arctic Ocean at the top of the world. Find out about problems including climate change, ocean acidification, and plastic pollution, and meet inspiring local people who are leading the way to reverse the ways in which humans have harmed the ocean.

Planet Ocean shows us how to stop thinking of ourselves as existing separate from the ocean and how to start taking better care of this precious resource.

Genres: Nonfiction, Middle Grade, Science, Picture Books, Nature, Environment

64 pages, ebook

Published March 2, 2021

About the author

Writing for children is the hardest thing I’ve ever done—the field is intensely competitive. But I write because I can’t imagine not writing. I write for myself and for the kids who read my work. I write for the joy of seeing a kid sitting in the front row at a school visit, hand stretched high to answer my questions. I write for the kid who tells me he already owns one of my books and has read it 15 times.

Reviews

[Michelle Glatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewing for School Library Connection.
Highly Recommended.
Will purchase for my middle school libraries.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book about oceans!!! This book would be great to use Ina classroom for for a child that loves the water. Throughout you can even use your phone to see real ocean life that is being talked about!!

[Sunday · Rating 5 out of 5]

The power of this text is that while you learn a lot about the problems humans have caused for the ocean and its inhabitants, you also learn the stories of a wide variety of people who are trying to solve these problems. You finish this book hopeful that as a global community, we can return the ocean to a healthier state and keep it that way. You also finish with the stark realization that we really should call this PLANET OCEAN because regardless of where you live, your health is connected to one great ocean!!!

Newman's explanations of concepts like carbon pollution and her descriptions of the work individuals and groups are doing to tackle these problems are clear and student-friendly. Annie Crawley's photographs are AMAZING, extending and adding to the information Newman provides. The layout and design are exceptional. QR codes extend the text, leading students to additional engaging sources on-line. Students will WANT to read this or hear parts read aloud. DON'T SKIP THE BACK MATTER which includes "Annie's Pro Tips: Visual Storytelling" -- tips students can easily adapt to telling stories about what citizens are doing to take care of planet ocean in their own communities (and all communities are connected somehow).

PAIR THIS TEXT with others by Newman detailing how scientists are trying to alleviate problems created by humans - Sea Otter Heroes, Eavesdropping on Elephants, and Plastic Ahoy! (The last is also in collaboration with Annie Crawley.) Students will begin to develop a depth of understanding of the role scientists and citizens play in taking care of the planet.

BTW - The price of this book seems high on Amazon. It's only available in "library binding." My suggestion would be to purchase directly from Lerner.

[Elizabeth Bedia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging and thought-provoking for kids and adults alike! PLANET OCEAN addresses the essential need that is central to our planet’s survival – the need for a healthy ocean. Newman deftly navigates the reader through three ocean regions with the assistance of Annie Crawley, an expert diver and photographer. Each region is unique, though they all have similar needs to keep them healthy. The text is engaging and accessible. Loaded with an absolute wealth of information on every page, it is a call to action not only for children, but adults as well. A passage from the book that echoes this sentiment is, “ ‘The ocean is us,’ Annie says. ‘Its beauty and its pain…’ ” This is a must have book for every library – public, school and home. I highly recommend it!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very well-written book with fantastic color photographs throughout detailing the importance of our oceans, their plight, and what we can/should do to help them. The photographer is a divemaster who also teaches youth to dive and to care about oceans and wildlife. She has made many of them so aware of the critical state of our oceans that they have become activists and advocates for change. The book takes care to look at all regions and how they are connected, how climate change and plastic use affects them, etc.
Source notes, index, etc in the back matter. Highly recommend.
**Sidenote: some of my students and former students are in the photographs from the PNW! So cool!

[Julie Abery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Planet Ocean: Why We All Need a Healthy Ocean, with stunning photographs by Annie Crawley, is a gem of a book. Packed with facts on diving, diving equipment, QR codes to scan for more information on the ocean and the creatures living in it. It has interviews with scientists and young people learning about ocean conservation and doing their best to keep it healthy. Planet Ocean is a book driven by the infectious passion Newman and Crawley feel for the ocean and is a must for all classrooms and homes and all new conservationists!

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This incredible book, which tells about the power of the ocean and how we need it to survive, is an absolute must-read for anyone who cares about our planet or the obligation of stewardship we have for it. The title, Planet Ocean, plays off the fact that Planet Earth is only 30% land, while the ocean makes up 70% of the planet. From there, author Patricia Newman and photographer Annie Crawley lead us on a tour to the Coral Triangle, the Salish Sea and the Arctic, highlighting at each stop the beauty, importance and fragility of the Earth's waters. This experience is broadened by frequent QR codes that are easily scanned and invite us to view the ocean through Annie Crawley's lens. Planet Ocean will inspire young and old to appreciate the deep importance of our oceans. It will also inspire them to take action and do whatever they can to protect them.

[Alison Bygrave · Rating 5 out of 5]

An educational and hard hitting book detailing just how much we need to nurture our connection with our life source, the ocean. Everyone should view the ocean through Annie's lens. Each one of us can make a difference and together we make change but it all starts with education.

[Stella Sung · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book full of well-researched information. The importance of raising awareness about the oceans and marine life is critical for the future of our planet. The photos by Annie Crawley are spectacular and professionally done. I highly recommend this book for all ages!

[Kat Voss · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is full of beautiful photographs of the oceans and its inhabitants. It also shows the real damage humans have caused to the ocean environment. Each chapter is well laid out, and written in a way that is engaging to students. There are many embedded technology activities that bring this book to life for the reader. It includes a good balance of men and women scientists, as well as different races and enthinicites too. The diagrams are easy to read, and every photo demonstrates the awesome ocean ecosystem. There is a thorough glossary, a huge list of sources, and even a list of recommended books for further reading. If you are looking for a high quality, engaging ocean book for the nonfiction section in the school library, or want a book to beef up your ocean unit in the classroom, then this is the book for you!

[Karla Valenti · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the very first page, this book conveys the magnitude and importance of the ocean to our very survival, starting with some stark reminders: 70% of the Earth is ocean and it is a single ocean - Planet Ocean. The implications of these facts are astounding, and an important realization for young readers.

The book then journeys into three ocean regions with Anne Crawley providing gorgeous and revealing visuals of life (both vibrant and devastated) beneath the waves. Patricia's intensely researched text informs, inspires, and educates readers. The book provides plenty of additional research opportunities for learners to go beyond the pages of the book as well as concrete steps readers can follow to help heal the devastation of our Planet Ocean. This is a powerful and well written call to action!

[Erin Dealey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an important must-read. In PLANET OCEAN, photographer and scuba diver Annie Crawley is our real-life, modern day Miss Frizzle, helping us explore "what lies beneath." Add author Patricia Newman's thorough research, inclusive interviews, and engaging text, and readers will feel the now-or-never urgency to act: To rebuild reefs. Protect ecosystems. Fight against plastic pollution. Help support healthy habits. Tune into our environment.

I am in awe of the depth of the material--from advanced techniques in photography to the scope of perspectives of indigenous people helping to create awareness of our changing climate. As Ms. Newman says, "The ocean's story is our story...Planet Ocean is us." My favorite quote is from 17 year old Aji Piper: "I'm not fighting climate change. I'm fighting for human change." Please add this book to your library, classroom, or home.

[Henry Herz · Rating 5 out of 5]

As we reach the tipping point of global warming, Newman's PLANET OCEAN offers important information to readers young and older about the ocean's critical role to life on our planet. The narrative covers some less well-known areas: the Coral Triangle, the Salish Sea, and the Arctic. Lushly illuminated by vivid photographs, this books should be on every young ocean-lover's bookshelf. The message is brought home with vignettes of what young people are doing, and what the reader can do. I received a free electronic copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not only gorgeous and packed with information, it is a call to action to protect one of our most important resources: the ocean. For too long, we have used the ocean as one giant garbage dump. But our neglect and mistreatment is catching up with us. Author Patricia Newman and photographer Annie Crawley are spot on when they urge readers to recognize how the ocean is the key to our planet’s survival. While the environmental picture is pretty dire, I love how the book’s creators focus on sharing stories of inspiring individuals and organizations who are striving to raise awareness about the ocean and take steps to protect and restore it. Thoroughly researched, Newman does a wonderful job of explaining very complex concepts about biology and the physical world in a way that a wide audience can understand. I also love how the title, Planet Ocean, emphasizes how Earth is mostly ocean, not land—a connection we often overlook. This book is sure to inspire the next generation of environmental activists (and current ones as well!)

[Katelyn Aronson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is quite simply a feast for the eyes (and mind)! Kids will learn that the Earth is in fact 70% ocean (only 30% land), and be inspired to protect and preserve this incredible resource as they follow underwater explorer Annie Crawley through over 50 pages of stunning photography, interviews with scientists and specialists, and visits to real places under the sea and all over the world. They will learn about problems but also solutions: what issues threaten the world ocean today, but also what real people are doing to help, and how readers themselves can get involved.
A truly immersive experience (as a book on the ocean should be), the QR codes sprinkled throughout invite readers to scan and dive into underwater video encounters. We often talk about being armchair travelers in times of Covid, but this book goes even further, inviting kids to be armchair divers and to access parts of the natural world they wouldn't normally have access to. Readers will be enthralled.

[Lindsay Bonilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book. The introduction titled “The Maps Are Wrong,” drew me in immediately. Here author Patricia Newman explains how most maps make the ocean look smaller than the land - however, in reality, oceans make up 70% of Earth and the land only 30%! This book is an exciting exploration of oceans around the world — from Indonesia, to the Pacific Northwest to the Arctic — told with stunning photographs from Annie Crawley, an award-winning photographer and filmmaker, as well as dive instructor who is passionate about saving our oceans and empowering others to do the same. There are QR codes throughout where readers can see more underwater photos and videos about the ocean and marine life. The book culminates with ways that readers can take action to keep our oceans healthy. The book includes many stories of people of all ages from around the world taking action in unique ways.

[JaNay Brown-Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Newman has done it again--created another dynamic nonfiction book filled with important information and geared to make readers think about the impact they have on Earth. With PLANET OCEAN, readers will take a deep dive into Earth's ocean and learn so much through interweaving narratives about the ocean, the life within it, and various people from around the world who are impacted by or make an impact on the ocean. As readers engage with the powerful, vibrant images, they'll also be introduced to active ways they can work to protect the ocean, corals, aquatic life, and Earth, overall. In addition to Crawley's beautiful photographs captured in this book, there are also a number of QR codes where readers can extend their experience by accessing videos to see aspects of these oceanic narratives in action.

[Kelly Crull · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a children's book author, and I came across Planet Ocean while I was researching a book I wrote about ocean plastic. I have to say, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Author Patricia Newman takes us on an adventure around the world from The Coral Triangle to the frigid waters of the Arctic. We meet all kinds of interesting people along the way. I was so emersed in the stories on each page, I didn't realize how much I was learning about the ocean at the same time. When I finished the book, I had a completely different outlook on the ocean. It's one ocean, that connects us all. A big thanks to Patricia and her friend Annie for doing all the work to make this book, so we can tag along on their adventure from the comfort of our home, classroom, or local library.

[Sandy Brehl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Patricia Newman has managed to write and organize another knockouts science photo picture book for middle grades. Various science specialists are featured throughout this brilliant and ultra-current account of our massively irreplaceable global ocean. It also spotlights young activists, investigators, and explorers. This features inset QR codes that connect directly to short clips and other interactive engagements with the content on various pages. The text and images stand up on their own, but for digitally-eager readers this will certainly accelerate their interest dramatically.
As is her pattern, the author includes quality back matter (index, bibliography, source notes, glossary, author note, and surfer links.

[Jami Gigot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Planet Ocean is an important book we ALL should read. The vital importance of protecting and caring for our oceans is clear. This book not only educates on the wonder and magnificence of our oceans, but gives us examples of how human impact has damaged our seas and what we can do from here and for future generations to keep our oceans healthy. Writer Patricia Newman follows diver Annie Crawley’s underwater adventures and the text is accompanied by wonderful photography. There are statements and advice from ocean activists throughout the book, and I loved the QR codes that link to different short films.

[Maria Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Using a wonderful conversational tone, Patricia Newman, teams up with scuba diver/photographer Annie Crawley to explore three sections of the world's ocean. Using photographs, discussions with teens and other citizen activists, and beautiful videos (accessed through QR codes) Patricia and Annie hope to help readers fall in love with the amazing flora and fauna of our ocean - "because we protect what we love." They show how our actions and ignorance have threatened the ocean and all life on this planet. How we need to, and can, act before it's too late. A joint note, list of additional books, resources and videos, and a glossary round out this amazing book.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Patricia Newman writes fantastic STEM kid lit. This book is no different. The engaging voice introduces readers to the important and beautiful work of photographer/illustrator/diver Annie Crawley. Crawley has a fabulous, diverse dive team that uses their dive skills for ocean conservation and education. Newman tells their stories beautifully. Readers will experience three different ocean ecosystems through Crawley's stories and spectacular photography. Resources will further engage readers in ocean conservation. Definitely a book for your shelf.

[Adriane Lam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book for a contest I judged. It is hands-down AWESOME, and a must-read for young conservationists. The images are gorgeous, the text is very informative, and the QR codes throughout the book link to amazing videos and stories about our ocean. The focus on three places (Arctic, Salish Sea, and the Indo-Pacific) currently being hit hard by climate change puts the focus of the book on our fragile ecosystems. But that struck me most about this book is that the authors tell stories from people and communities in these regions, bringing their voices to the forefront.

[Bethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. “We know more about outer space than we do about the mysteries of our ocean”. pg 5 this incredible fact is perfect for #worldoceansday. The books looks at the health and relationships of the ocean in 3 areas: reefs in the South Pacific, the Pacific Northwest, and the Arctic circle. Each area has a specific concern and possible solutions and they are interconnected. The last chapter focuses ways people can help revitalize the ocean that we all depend on for life. MG NF extensive back matter.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nonfiction picture books were something I haven't really been interested in, and my grad school program is really helping me to dive into titles I normally wouldn't reach for, and helping me become a more well-rounded reader, able to hopefully one day provide curriculum suggestions. This book is SO important. I would teach this for sure if I were in a library and/or collaborating in schools. It hits the standards with a bullseye and brings in so much potential conversation and applications to get students thinking about how they could contribute to protecting the oceans.

[Michelle Andersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Planet Ocean is fascinating! This is a stunning and important book, full of gorgeous photographs and is a wealth of information. Patricia Newman and photographer Annie Crawley take us on an underwater journey, opening our eyes and our minds to ocean acidification, plastic pollutions, reef destruction, and more. This is an important book that people of all ages should make time to read and learn something new.

[Benson Shum · Rating 5 out of 5]

PLANET OCEAN is a treasure. Thank you Patricia Newman and Annie Crawley for taking us on a deep dive into the Coral Triangles of Indonesia, the Salish Sea of the Pacific Northwest, and the Arctic at the top of the world. Thank you for taking us on this amazing and important journey about our ocean. Young and old will enjoy and learn how vast and wonderful our ocean is and hope we can keep it that way.

[Iris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you interested in marine conservation or anything ocean related? This is the book for you! Award-winning photographer and filmmaker, Annie Crawley or Ocean Annie, along with several of her friends introduce readers to the very real threat of carbon and plastic pollution to marine life. The book is full of very interesting true stories and experiences (a few of them by young adults), further enhanced by the striking photographs as well as links to videos embedded in QR codes throughout.

[Dow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly detailed look at the state of ocean health, with several expert interviews and gorgeous underwater photos, including information from diver, filmmaker, and photographer Annie Crawley. The book is convincing in its frank discussion of plastic pollution, reef devastation, and more. This is an important resources for children and adults alike to learn how we can take care of our ocean and why we all need to protect our planet.

[Vivian Kirkfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a kid, I always loved nonfiction - and this book would have been a favorite of mine. Fabulous illustrations accompany the fascinating text which connects us all to the ocean and its inhabitants. This is a book that will engage students and encourage all children to cherish and protect the planet.