Washed Ashore

Making Art from Ocean Plastic

by Kelly Crull

Review posted November 12, 2022.
Millbrook Press, 2022. 40 pages.
Review written October 8, 2022, from a library book.
Starred Review
2022 Sonderbooks Stand-out:
#4 Children's Nonfiction

This book is the kind I can't resist showing to my coworkers on the spot. The art is stunning. The subject is convicting. And the overall presentation is mind-blowing.

Yes, I knew that there's lots of plastic trash in the ocean. But this book makes you feel the magnitude.

This book documents the work of Angela Haseltine Pozzi and her organization called Washed Ashore. They make animal sculptures out of trash found in the ocean.

Washed Ashore shows large photographs of fourteen of these sculptures. They give facts about the ocean animals portrayed and how they're affected by plastic trash. They also list tips for reducing plastic trash in the ocean. And across the bottom of each spread, there are objects for you to find in the sculptures.

It's finding those objects that makes you look closely and get your mind blown with all the junk. It also helps you realize just how big these sculptures are. Some of the objects to look for include a cigarette lighter, sunglasses, an inhaler, a steering wheel, toothbrushes, multiple toys, shoe parts, and even the front of a stereo.

And the art itself is stunning. Looking closely and realizing what it's made of makes the achievement all the more remarkable.

Take a look at this book. I don't believe that you can fail to be moved.