Marina: A Story About Plastic and the Planet

by Jesse Byrd, Andressa Meissner (Illustrator)

After Marina throws away the plastic wrapper on her sandwich, the plastic goes on a journey to disturb a series of sea creatures before, later, washing up on a beach where Marina and her family are playing. This experience is Marina’s introduction to the harmfulness of single-use plastics, lighting a spark within her to learn more and do more to help the planet.

Genres: Picture Books

40 pages, Hardcover

Published March 28, 2023

Reviews

[Rosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story with a great heart and a great message, but it required a few tweaks to be even better.

Marina loves the sandwich that her mom makes for her school lunch. After she devours it during her break, she throws the plastic wrapper away in the trashcan, as a good child should. Unknown to her, the wrapper is carried away by a gust of wind, and it goes through a long underwater journey before washing up on the very beach where Marina is having fun with her family. She sure is surprised to discover her labelled wrapper again!

Through the wrapper’s underwater journey, children will get to see many marine animals and how the strange plastic sheet bothers them. At the end of the book, there are some shocking facts related to marine plastic pollution.

The message of the story is a much-needed one. There are so many instances of single-use plastic that are totally avoidable but many continue to use them. (The one that I hate the most is plastic wrap.) The book highlights how plastic doesn’t really ‘go away’. It reiterates one fact that I had read a few years ago – every piece of plastic ever invented still exists. [Take a moment to let that sink in your head! It’s a disconcerting thought.] Alternate packaging methods are needed wherever possible, and we need to switch over fast.

At the same time, the book falls a little short of achieving its potential. It highlights how plastic wrappers add to the pollution, but it just mentions that Marina’s mom now chooses more planet-friendly alternatives. It would have been better to mention the alternatives so that children are aware of the environmentally-safe packaging options available.

Similarly, the book ends by Marina wondering what else she could do, and stops at that. There are only two solutions provided at the end of the book, and both are ocean-related and quite minor. One of the ‘solutions’ was, “When you see a piece of trash on the beach, put it in the right place.” However, the fact is that Marina had disposed of her sandwich wrapper the right way – it still didn’t help. The focus should not be just on right disposal but also on minimising usage, especially of single-use plastics. The book really missed out on an opportunity to reiterate the message with more practical, realistically implementable solutions. Just one tip of using a reusable cup isn’t enough.

The font, written in a clear CAPS style, is easy on the eyes, though I don’t know how some adult readers might feel about the all-CAPS approach. The vocabulary is quite simple for early readers, so the book would work nicely for 5-8 year olds.

The illustrations are quite cute. Marina is adorable with her genuine expressions, but even more striking are the underwater illustrations. The marine world sparkles on the page. I loved how the ocean creatures are shown indulging in human activities such as bathing or composing music – it was quite funny! However, the proportion of the plastic wrapper against the real-life size of the animals goes wrong at times, especially on the page with the blue whale.

(One thing I didn’t get: when almost all the marine animals were referred to by their species names such as octopus or crab, why was the shark the only creature with a human name - ‘Phil’? Weird!)

To sum up, great intent, good content. But it misses the chance to create an even greater impact. Nevertheless, still recommended. A small start towards better living habits is better than no start at all.

3.75 stars.

My thanks to Baker & Taylor, Paw Prints Publishing, and NetGalley for the DRC of “Marina: A Story About Plastic and the Planet”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.



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[Dez the Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story seemed to take up very little space in the book, many of the pages following the plastic bag but not in a fun or engaging way. My kids lost interest unfortunately. I think more substance could be added to the story. The message is meant to be good - how plastic ends up in the ocean sometimes and what we can do to help Mother Earth. Delivery just wasn’t that good

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Matal “The Mischling Princess” Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of “Marina: A Story About Plastics and the Environment” from NetGalley and Paw Prints Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Written by Jesse Byrd and illustrated by Andressa Meissner, this beautifully illustrated picture book is environmentally friendly. The book shows the journey of a plastic sandwich bag that once housed Marina’s sandwich, and that even though Marina properly threw the plastic bag into the trash, the bag returned—but not before it traveled through the ocean first.

There were a few minor issues with this PB. First, on at least one occasion, the author relied heavily on the illustrator to convey meaning. For example, the author didn’t name the alternative sandwich wrapping that Marina’s mother used. Instead, the illustrator included a roll of brown paper wrapping in the accompanying image. It would have helped if the author had actually included the name in the text.

Second, the text states that the new sandwich wrapping will feed “flowers and trees,” but the entire book is dedicated to how the sandwich wrapper, due to its lack of weight, flies off of the trash heap and ends up in the ocean. Since this is the case, the paper wrapping would have dissolved in the ocean and/or would have been consumed by wildlife. It may have been better if the author and illustrator would have recommended a reusable sandwich container instead of paper wrapping.

At the end of the book, I love how the author included several spreads, including Ocean Plastic Facts and Ocean Plastic Solutions. The author makes clear in the Solutions section that kids can use glasses and reusable cups, which is great. But it would have made more sense if they would have included some tips on using reusable sandwich containers (e.g., bento boxes, silicone, etc.).

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect colourful book to show the kids where our plastic wrappers/ plastic materials usually end up at and how it affects the lives around us, specifically the lives in the oceans.

The change should come from each of us no matter the age and the backgrounds. I find the storytelling very interesting and pleasant with the most amazing illustrations! Also, check out the bonus pages towards the end. It has best facts and practical solutions on how to deal with the problem.

A must have recommendation.

Thank you, PAW Prints Publishing, for the advance reading copy.

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[K. E. Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marina: A Story about Plastic and the Planet Story by Jesse Byrd; Illustrated by Andressa Meissner
Marina likes her lunch; well, it’s the best in the whole world. Her mom wraps it up for her in plastic, writes Marina’s name on it and puts stars on it. At school, Marina can’t wait for lunchtime, but when it comes, she dances with delight at her food. Then she flips the plastic wrap into the trash.
Her plastic wrap goes to the dump but gets caught in the wind and lands in the ocean, causing no end of irritation to a multitude of sea creatures. One day at the seashore with her parents, Marina is startled to see her plastic lunch wrapper on the beach.
Byrd’s story of travels of this plastic wrapper is used to give children an understanding of the durability and dangers of plastic, which, unfortunately, often ends up in the ocean. Meissner’s illustrations are an explosion of engaging colors. Conveniently, at the end of the book are a lot of facts about plastic waste in the ocean and the evidence of its impact on sea animals and birds.
Young readers can easily get through the story part, but parents may prefer to read the facts at the end.
Takeaway: Marina is an enjoyable and educational children’s book which teaches valuable lessons about plastic pollution in the ocean.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book to help show children the consequences of using too much plastic and waste. Of course, it’s not always possible to go 100% plastic free, but that doesn’t mean we can’t eliminate things such as plastic bags and plastic wrap. This book will open the minds of children and help them start coming up with alternatives to their plastic uses and help make an impact, even if it’s small, on taking care of our earth. The illustrations will draw their attention and show them the different ways plastic and trash can negatively impact our earth. This might even encourage them to want to start picking up trash they find at their own beaches and parks in their own communities. I think this book, and similar ones, are so important. Teaching our young children the importance of taking care of our planet might be the most impactful thing we as adults can do to save our earth. If we can raise a generation that loves and respects their home, then we might have hope for a cleaner planet in the future.

[Astoria (Jax) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for an E-ARC of this really cute little tale.

Marina: A Story about Plastic and the Planet tells the story of a sandwich bag that goes on an adventure from a little girl's lunch box all the way to the depths on the ocean and back to find her on the beach. It's a harrowing example showing the way that plastic doesn't break down as easily as paper products and just how much plastic trash ends up littering our beaches.

I read it to my niece but I don't know if she fully understood the impact of the story but she's only 6 so I think given time she'll see the impact her decisions make on the world.

[Daniele Kasper · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a focus on the environment and reducing plastic use, this book is about the amazing ocean and how to protect it. The adorable illustrations are fun and engaging. Plenty of great lessons for kids to learn. This story was both entertaining and educational, which can be a tricky balance to maintain in a children’s book, and I will be suggesting it to teachers whenever possible. Incorporating educational topics such as this into children's picture books is a tried and true way to teach important facts and life skills in a way that is fun. This would be an amazing addition for classrooms, libraries and more.

[Theediscerning · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The messaging in Marina, that plastic not only doesn't always make it to the garbage dump/get recycled but also doesn't break down is incredibly important. I think it is a rather big jump that the same little girl would find her trash again another day in another location, but it certainly makes the concept easy to understand for children. Would definitely read over and over with my kids and would recommend it for any classroom! The illustrations are beautiful, too.

Thank you to Baker & Taylor, Paw Prints Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC!

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5

Love the illustrations and message about plastic and its impact on our planet, but I don't feel like it's a topic for young children. The environmental impact is not something a child can do anything about, so it feels wrong to have a book that they first of all do not understand one hundred percent. The book itself is not wrong in itself but it is aimed at the wrong age group, who cannot do anything about the problems.

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Andreea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book for review.

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.

[Kristen Lango · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute with a good message, but obviously very heavy handed. Digital illustration, which in my opinion, lacks personality. This feels like one of those books that publishers create out of obligation.
Again, really great intention with the message, but its not one of those stories that you'll remember for years to come.

[Megan Bey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully illustrated educational book. This book teaches such an important message of why we need to take better care of the earth and actions that will make a difference. A must read!

Thanks to Netgalley and PAW Prints Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Suzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely illustrated book that shows how plastic can effect sea animals and the planet.
Love this book and can't wait to display it and put it out in the library.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

[Paola Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading age is 2-5 years. The book shows the effects of plastic pollution.in the story marina is really excited to eather sandwhich that is wrapped in plastic, she throws the plastic in the garbage but the wind blew it to the ocean it shows that the animals were all scared of the plastic until the plastic is upshove marina finds it and decides to not use plastic anymore.

[Radwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice short little story teaching children to be concious of using plastic, and knowing that whatever they do affects the planet.

[SamSamSam · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of interesting backmatter, but not a super engaging story. Also, was it supposed to rhyme or not? It seemed like the author really wanted this to rhyme, but only bothered to when it was easy.

[Y.Poston]

a delightful exploration of what happens to plastic
that we use & an exploration of what behavior
changes can help

[Wendy Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars for this book about plastic and its effect on the environment
I read a digital advanced reader's copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley
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.

[Steph]

Turn/Level: 1/3

Ocean Plastics, Stewardship

A kid friendly story about one piece of plastic and it's journey. This is obvious propaganda, but it's palatable.