A DOLPHIN'S WISH

A papa dolphin tearfully warns his youngling about the dangers of floating plastic rubbish.

The original title of this clunkily rhymed British import—Ocean Plastic Is Not Fantastic—captures both the cautionary theme and the general tone: “It can swallow you whole, and trap you inside. / Or get in your tummy, stay there and hide.” Battistel puts the young dolphin’s terrified imaginings elicited by her father’s lecture front and center, with scenes of reefs and beaches thickly festooned with litter, capped by a wave that becomes a towering sea monster thanks to artfully placed plastic cups and bags. Nevertheless, overall smiles, bright colors, and idyllic underwater vistas prevail—even when the occasional bit of plastic debris is in view—to keep thing upbeat. The solution? To invite “those creatures with nets and hooks / to come down here and take a look.” This cues a picture of scuba divers picking up plastic garbage under the supervision of a stern-looking octopus. Readers, represented by a diverse group of children on a tourist boat, are encouraged to take up greener practices by a parade of sign-waving sea life. It’s all far easier said than done, but at least it gets said.

A bit of finger-shaking joins a rising chorus of protest.