Review of ‘I Wonder’, by Allison Paterson, Illustrations  by Nancy Bevington; published by Big Sky Publishing 2021.

This review is hosted by www.justkidslit.com/blog and Books on Tour Marketing.

This delightful picture book has a serious message. It explores the theme of the pollution of our oceans and clearly explains to kids what simple steps they can take to protect the land and sea.

The central character is a small red toy boat which is left behind on the beach and as the days go by, it worries that it has been totally forgotten. It is joined by others, a chip packet, a take away cup, and a plastic bag and these items are blown into the sea. The little red boat ponders the idea that these objects are rubbish, litter or waste and so he has to consider his own state.

Luckily he is picked up by a child, repaired and repainted so he can resume his love of the beach and bobbing about in the water.

The illustrations are quite lovely with soft pastels and many full page images. At the end of the story there are two pages with issues to discuss with others.

One is ‘What steps can you take?’, such as not leaving rubbish but using the bins and re cycling broken things. The other asks a series of questions. Did you know it takes years for plastics to break down? Did you know thousands of marine creatures die each year from pollution?

This picture book provides a new perspective on recycling efforts and relates to the everyday experience of many children as they play on our beautiful beaches in Australia.