About the Holiday

During National Oceans Month, we celebrate the wondrous diversity of sea life. A majority of the earth’s surface is covered in water and yet we know only a fraction of what the oceans have to show us. With new technology scientists are diving deeper and deeper and discovering some of the most unique creatures in the world. The holiday also gives us an opportunity to pledge our help to preserving the fragile ecosystems that exist in and near the world’s oceans from climate change, pollution, and habitat destruction. To join in on this month’s holiday, visit a beach or aquarium, learn more about the animals and resources of the sea, and consider donating to or volunteering with an organization dedicated to protecting the world’s oceans. To learn more about the world’s oceans, including information on ocean health, life, science, and trivia; find education resources, podcasts, videos, and more, visit the National Ocean Service website.

The Big Beach Cleanup

Written by Charlotte Offsay | Illustrated by Katie Rewse

At the end of the summer, the Crystal Beach Sandcastle Competition would be held and Cora planned on being crowned the champion. She had all summer to practice and she had visions of castles she could build – from towering ones to funny ones to “ones that made you want to pack up your bags and move on in.” But when she got to the beach to begin practicing, she discovered a sign that said the sandcastle competition had been postponed because the beach was so filled with trash. In fact, everywhere Cora dug she unearthed more and more trash.

Image copyright Katie Rewse, 2021, text copyright Charlotte Offsay, 2021. Courtesy of Albert Whitman & Company.

Cora asked Mama if she could fix it. “‘I wish I could,'” Mama answered. “‘I don’t have enough hands.'” Cora wondered if their four hands together could do the job. Mama took gloves from her truck and she and Cora began filling bags with trash. Cora wondered where all the trash came from and Mama explained that some of it could come from trash dropped in cities or towns that makes its way to the ocean or the beach through a drain. Before Cora and Mama could pick up much more, it started raining. Four hands just weren’t enough, thought Cora.

The next day Cora asked her grandfather to join them in cleaning up the beach, but when they got there Cora felt discouraged. The sand looked just as bad as it had the day before. After they’d worked a while, Grandpa suggested taking a “sandcastle break.” Nearby, Cora was upset to see a seagull eating a food wrapper. Six hands weren’t nearly enough, either. Then she looked at the posters on the beach bulletin board and had an idea.

Image copyright Katie Rewse, 2021, text copyright Charlotte Offsay, 2021. Courtesy of Albert Whitman & Company.

Cora drew her own posters, reading “Chrystal Beach needs your HANDS” and “BIG BEACH CLEANUP.” She and her mother posted the signs around town. Outside the ice-cream shop, Cora tried to hand out her fliers but everyone just walked past without taking one. Everyone seemed to busy to come to get involved. But Mama told Cora that there are many other ways people could help, “‘like not littering, or saying no to things we use only once, like straws, so that less trash ends up in the ocean.'”

Cora understood, but she kept asking friends, neighbors, and others. Little-by-little, there were eight hands, then ten, and twelve. More people caught on and came out to the beach to pick up litter. Cora got so many hands that the sandcastle contest was reinstated “thanks to local activists.” On the day of the contest, families came out and built all kinds of creative castles. Cora wasn’t crowned champion, but “her heart swelled with pride” at what she had accomplished. And that was just the beginning….

An Author’s Note outlining steps everyone can take to reduce trash and prevent it from littering the oceans and beaches as well as a list of facts about ocean pollution follow the story.

Image copyright Katie Rewse, 2021, text copyright Charlotte Offsay, 2021. Courtesy of Albert Whitman & Company.

Through her earnest and activist protagonist, Cora, Charlotte Offsay gives a voice to those children who want to make a difference in their communities. While Offsay touches on how trash makes its way to oceans and beaches, the real appeal of the story is in her realistic, hands-on ideas that can empower kids to find activities for cleaning up their neighborhood or local beach, park, woodland, or other public space. Her straightforward and accessible storytelling reflects the questions children have about today’s issues and their enthusiasm to help solve problems as well as the disappointments that sometimes come with trying to solicit the involvement of others. Offsay’s well-paced narrative show kids that change can be or seem to be slow, but that sticking with any effort pays benefits.

Katie Rewse’s vibrant illustrations will keep children riveted to the pages as they watch Cora dig up more and more trash from an already well-littered beach. Images of Cora making and hanging posters will inspire kids to try similar outreach in their own communities. Page spreads depicting clean-up efforts realistically portray the types of trash found on beaches and other recreation areas. For children who may be unsure if one pair of hands can really make a difference, Rewse’s illustrations of Cora and Mama working together at the beginning of the story show the positive impact of just one or two people, while later in the story, as more and more people join in, they will see the transformative power that a group effort can make. Kids will love being invited to the sandcastle competition to see all the entrants as well as the winning sculptures.

Inspiring, empowering, and offering realistic ideas and expectations for budding environmentalists, The Big Beach Cleanup is sure to spark awareness and action for children at home and at school. The book would make an impactful addition to home, school, and public library collections.

Ages 4 – 8

Albert Whitman & Company, 2021 | ISBN 978-0807508015

Discover more about Charlotte Offsay and her books on her website.

To learn more about Katie Rewse, her books, and her art, visit her website.

National Oceans Month Activity

Kinetic Sand

Sand is so much fun to play with at the beach that you just wish you could bring it home. Now you can! With this easy recipe you can create your own kinetic sand to form or let run through your fingers. It makes a great anti-stress reliever too!

Supplies

• 1 cup sand
• ½ tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon dish soap
• Water as needed – about ¾ cup
• Bin or bowl for mixing dry ingredients
• Bowl for mixing dish soap and water

Directions

1. In the bin combine the sand and cornstarch and mix well
2. In the bowl combine the dish soap and water until the water is bubbly
3. Slowly add the water mixture to the dry ingredients, mixing and adding water little-by-little until the desired consistency is reached. The grain of the sand will determine how much water is needed.
4. The sand can be formed with cookie cutters, molds, hands, etc. and is strong enough to stack. Or just let it drip and ooze through your fingers.

You can find The Big Beach Cleanup at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million

To support your local independent bookstore, order from

Bookshop | IndieBound

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