Ripples, written and illustrated by Katie Yamasaki. Norton, Penguin Random House. 2026. $24.99 ages 4 and up

 

"My toes toast in the sun. 

We tend to the river. 

As we curve around a bend, the singsong
notes of "Happy Birthday" float past, 
mixing with birdsong high above
and our own voices, splashing in the river."

An overhead view of the river that flows into a large pond is pictured on the front endpaper, in verdant color that enhances the water and its surroundings. Along the shoreline, readers will notice a number of rafts with oars at the ready. The title page shows Aunty Koko and the child narrator donning life jackets and preparing to head out in one of the inflated rafts. It is a magical day.

As they paddle forward, they notice the sparkle of sun on the water and smell the wet earth on the shore. Beavers, butterflies and turtles are out sunning themselves in the warmth of the day. As they paddle further, they continue to take note of the wildlife, and of friends enjoying a wondrous day at the river's edge. Both happy noise and moments of peaceful quiet fill the air.

Soon, the two paddle onto the pond where the amount of trash increases. It becomes almost too much to handle. Luckily, the people they have met along the river arrive to lend a hand. Together they create the ripples that improve the health of this natural habitat. The art is brilliantly colorful, and in keeping with the work being done together to improve their shared environment. 
                                                                              

Our Home, Our Only Home, written by Marion Dane Bauer and illustrated by Sophie Diao. Candlewick Press, Penguin Random House. 2026. $24.99 ages 6 and up

 

"For all our knowing, though, 
we barely noticed our new fuel 
filling the sky 
with gases. 
Or the fertilizers and pesticides
washing from our fields 
into streams, 
into rivers, 
into oceans. 
We forgot 
as we cut down forests." 

Ms. Bauer uses a mix of poetry and science to bring ecological awareness to her readers; together she posits they can help to save this planet that is our home. She begins by reminding those who share her book that ours is the only planet that can sustain life. Over billions of years, it has changed, then changed again in the most amazing ways to move through periods of extinction. Yet, it survives. 

It took all that time before humans appeared, with a brain that tamed fire - for heat, for protection, for cooking the food that made us healthier in every way that mattered. Because of fire, people lived. Too soon, humans also discovered coal, oil, and gas which led to the development of machines that used those fossil fuels. The effects of those inventions and the ways in which they were used has brought us to a crisis on our planet. We didn't see what they were doing to our home and our environment. 

"Our lives had never been better, 
never been easier." 

It has not taken nearly as many years to get to where we are now. In fact, much has changed in the last few decades - rapid change that has never been seen before now. Her approach in the second half of the book is to suggest actions that can be taken and to talk about those who inspire others to make a difference. They may be teenagers, or those who have worked tirelessly throughout their lives to help us understand just exactly what is happening, and what changes will help. It's important to think beyond the human perspective and consider what it means to put the Earth first and do what's best to be sure every life is protected. 

Stunning digital illustrations ensure that readers are made aware of the emergency that is climate change and also begin to understand that we all can play a part with hope, action, and letting others know how to help turn things around for all. 

"Begin by being grateful."

Magic in a Drop of Water: How Ruth Patrick Taught the World about Water Pollution. Written by Julie Winterbottom and illustrated by Susan Reagan. Rocky Pond Books, Penguin Random House. 2025. $26.99 ages 6 and up

 

"She thought about all the plants and animals that live in 
streams. Not just the diatoms, but the whole community 
of sponges and spiders, water lilies and worms, everything 
from the tiniest protozoa to the biggest fish. She realized 
that if she really wanted to understand pollution, she had 
to listen to all of them. Not just one voice, but the whole 
chorus of water dwellers. 

No one had ever studied everything in a river before. It
would be a huge job. 

Ruth jumped in feet first."

Readers are told immediately that Ruth Patrick loved pond scum when she five years old. She and her sister were encouraged by their father to find anything of interest while they were out walking in the woods. Ruth was a collector at heart, and had no trouble filling her basket. 

Looking at the pond scum she had collected under her father's microscope, she was amazed to see gem-like shapes and other delicate and wondrous things. She would later learn that they were diatoms and their work was necessary to life on Earth. As a young child, Ruth wondered what else she might find in water. Although her mother had little patience for her daughter's love of hauling buckets of 'who knew what' home, her father encouraged her at every turn. 

Girls, at that time, were not expected to study science. Ruth and her father had other ideas. Her interests led her to study biology at college and grad school, with a focus on diatoms. Tens of thousands of them, with very different survival skills. Learning that they had stories, Ruth was on her way to many remarkable  discoveries, including wondering if diatoms could help solve the problem of water pollution. 

Because of people like Ruth who asked pertinent questions and found answers wherever she could, the world knows far more that it once did. With the help of other interested scientific helpers, and by collecting as many samples as they possibly could, Ruth finally found her answers in the water they so carefully studied. 

"Where there are many different kinds of animals, the water is healthy. 
Where there are few - or none - it is polluted."

Her work lives on today as biodiversity, and it is used to measure pollution in many ecosystems. For sixty years, the young girl who loved pond scum worked tirelessly to educate others as she still sought to educate herself. 

Back matter includes More About Ruth Patrick, a timeline, and a selected bibliography for those readers who want to learn more themselves ... just like Ruth. 

Our Plastic Problem: A Call for Global Solutions. Written by Megan Durnford. Orca, 2025. $21.95 ages 9 and up

"Did you know that you wear plastic? If you have 
a bathing suit, a raincoat, rain boots, a windbreaker, 
jogging pants or any other clothing made from 
synthetic fibers, you are wearing materials made 
from plastic."

Life in homes, and for families, took a turn in the 1950s when plastic hit the spotlight as 'the miracle material' that was sure to make things better and easier. It could hold liquids, it was relatively easy to produce, and it could take many different forms, depending on how it was to be used. Since that time, plastic has become so much a part of our daily lives that it is difficult to fathom. It has many practical uses; it has also caused endless concerns for the planet because much of it is discarded. The Tupperware that people bought in the 50s and 60s will never go away. Plastic does not rot or degrade; it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces. What was thrown out 70 years ago still has a place on land or in the oceans. While it is used in many remarkable ways today, it is causing immense problems for marine life, the environment, and for humans as well. 

In her book, Megan Durnford offers a personal look at how the evolution of plastics made life better in many ways when it was first introduced. In an information box called Plastic Planet, she talks about the proliferation of plastic products that impact our lives. 

"Plastic is all around you. Have you ever tried counting all the different types of plastic things you use every day? Some are obvious, like a plastic cup. But you use hundreds of things made with plastic that are not so obvious. Did you know that the following things are made with plastic? Paper bills, pencils, balloons, glitter, contact lenses, jogging pants, electrical cords, nonstick pans, packing peanuts, pantyhose, ribbon, wallpaper, Scotch tape, stickers, Velcro, yoga mats, umbrellas, and toothbrushes." 

In following chapters, she discusses Plastic Forever which is quite astounding given its lasting effects around the world on water, clothing, nature's creatures, air quality, and the human body. In Global Problems Need Global Solutions, readers learn that we all have a part to play in finding ways to stem the impact of plastic waste. In the final chapter, Beyond Plastic, the author offers logical solutions for replacing some of the plastics we use so freely. Interesting initiatives are described and provide opportunity for further thought. On the final page, a What Can You Do? looks at a wide variety of ways readers can begin to make effective changes in their own lives. 

A list of resources, a glossary, and an index are appended. 

This addition to the Orca Footprints series follows a familiar format for providing middle grade students with accessible writing, relevant facts, and excellent captioned photographs, information boxes, and encouragement to look closely at the world around them. 

The Wild Robot Protects, written by Peter Brown. Little, Brown and Company. Hachette, 2023. $22.99 ages 8 and up

 

"For months, Roz had feared the poison tide, and 
now she was going to march straight into it. She
stood on the northern slopes and gazed out at the 
ocean. Clouds of gently shimmering dust were 
billowing through the water. The robot's eyes 
drifted skyward to a winged shape, high above. 
Brightbill was up there, scanning the seas. After 
a few minutes, he dove down and landed on his 
mother's shoulder." 

Fans who were waiting to reading this third (and final, I'm told) book in The Wild Robot series were certainly not disappointed with its release late last year. It is an apt conclusion. Meeting and getting to know Roz, her island, her friends and family who live there has been a treat. From the first meeting in 2016, to the second in 2018, I have followed and enjoyed her adventures and the community she has built. 

In this book, Roz again puts others ahead of herself when she sets out on an unconventional journey to help and protect those she loves. A poison tide in the ocean has arrived at their doorstep, threatening their lives and the island they love. Roz works with her community to do their best to move everyone beyond its reach, but realizes something else must be done. 

Because she is now waterproof, Roz is the only one not affected by the spreading poison. It is up to Roz to stop the spread; she is advised to travel far north to meet the Ancient Shark, the only creature likely to have a solution for the threat. Her trek is filled with fascinating and informative conversations with creatures along the way, who share their worry about the threat of the tide. She also learns much about the deep-sea mineral mining that is causing the poison that is spreading across ocean waters. 

The Ancient Shark knows about the mining station that sits in the northern ocean and the robot that constantly forces the poison from its drilling into the ocean waters. She also knows all about Roz and her journey to help and protect. She is fully ready to take on the problem, with force if needed. Ocean mammals, fish, seabirds, and zooplankton are all part of the fight that ends in the destruction of the station and new problems for the gentle and accommodating Roz to solve. 

Peter Brown does an exceptional job of blending the real concerns of climate change and pollution caused by humans with humor and compassion, as he brings Roz to full life once more. Roz is a consummate learner and a selfless giver, and a character readers will not soon forget. 

The Great Lakes: Our Freshwater Treasure., witten by Barb Rosenstock and illustrated by Jamey Christoph. Alfred A. Knopf, Penguin Random House. 2024. $26.99 ages

 

"The Great Lakes took their current shape
only three thousand years ago. They're the 
youngest major geological feature on the 
planet - millions of years younger than the 
Appalachian Mountains, the Great Plains,
and the Mississippi River. They keep changing 
today. Storms move shorelines and sand dunes. 
Land rebounding from the glacier's weight 
rises. Rocks wear down as the lake levels 
surge and fall. Still, the water flows on, 
west to east."

Learning about the Great Lakes and how they formed will be of interest to readers keen on knowing more about water conservation and caring for the environment. Only 3,000 years old, they were formed when a huge glacier melted and trapped water in five holes surrounded by thawing land. Over many following years, the lakes changed in both size and shape. Today, they continue to change due to storms and erosion.  

Ms. Rosenstock explains how one drop of water moves through the five lakes, past Niagara Falls, and down the St. Lawrence River to the Atlantic Ocean. It's a trip that takes ONLY 300 years! There is a LOT of water in the Great Lakes: 'almost all of the surface freshwater on the North America continent', 

"One in every five glasses of the surface freshwater on Earth!" 

How remarkable is that? Originally, Native peoples cared for the lakes and their many benefits, using only what they needed. When Europeans arrived, they took much more than they needed and left the lakes in a world of trouble. Concerned citizens started speaking out, and making the effort needed to improve the beauty and physical state of the lakes themselves. As is true all over the world, more help is essential to continue forward progress. She assures her readers that they can help to get things done.  

"The same way we can all help. 

By caring for wild places. By working with groups that protect the lakes. 
And by saving freshwater, wherever we are, whenever we can." 

The Great Lakes are a treasure we must always protect. 

The text is clear and compelling. The artwork is detailed, helpful and always engaging. Back matter is informative and provides encouragement to help make changes for the better.  

Aqua Boy, written and illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max. Candlewick Press, Penguin Random House. 2024. $23.99 ages 3 and up

 

"That night there was a big storm, and 
the next morning the beach was full 
of trash from all over the world. 

Everyone went to clean it up. 

"Looks like the ocean sent us back our 
trash!" said Dad. 

"One day we are going to clean up the 
ocean for good," said Angel."

This tender story of a family working together for the greater good of the environment is encouraging and uplifting. Aaron and his sister live by the ocean, where their parents work as guardians of the beach by taking care of it as best they can. The children love the ocean as much as their parents do. 

Aaron wants to be more like his sister. Angel knows a lot. She explains that it is her home and she loves swimming there. Aaron loves the water, too. He has a fear of putting his head underwater; he knows he needs to be braver. His parents encourage him every day. 

Their cleanup continues following a storm. Aaron is very surprised to see an octopus on the sand, and wonders why it is there. His family suggests it might be stranded. They return it to the ocean. As they do, Aaron notices the octopus looking at him. As the octopus slips back into the water,  Arron gathers the strength needed to go underwater, too. It's only the beginning for him.

In back matter, the author suggests ways for young readers to protect the octopus and the ocean. 

"Families, communities, and schools 
everywhere can become ocean 
guardians and help to save the ocean. 

Find out more at oceana.org "

The Artivist, written and illustrated by Nikkolas Smith. Kokila, Penguin Random House. 2023. $25.99 ages 8 and up

 

"All I can think to do is paint the problems
and the solutions people can work on together.

I think it's time to combine both parts of who I am:
                     to take ACTION with my ART.
                   It's time to become an ARTIVIST." 

Nikkolas Smith is as remarkable an artist as he is an activist, wanting more for the world than is currently happening. Combining the two, he speaks to children and adults around the world, hoping to inspire change at a grassroots level. He wants those who hear him speak and see his art to know that they can be agents of change in whatever small way they choose. 

The young boy who narrates this wonderful book is an artist. He is also an activist, sewing seeds of goodness in his community. What he sees too often are scenes that make him want to scream. And help. And be an agent for change. He wants to hold up a mirror to show the world what isn't right: racism, war, waste, pollution, global warming, inequality, injustice, hate, us vs. them, greed, death, walls. 

He knows that his art can help him take action that needs to be taken; it can have an impact. He can show what is broken and what leads to healing. He's ready to get started. The first thing he does is change an eviction notice that says MOVE TODAY to LOVE TODAY - a simple message that goes viral and sparks action. 

A mural painted on a building's wall inspires people to look beyond their own lives and begin to make a difference in the lives of others, showing empathy and kindness in donations and by joining protests that demand change. Posters beg the government to bring change: 

MY LIFE IS WORTH MORE THAN ALL THE GUNS. 

PROTECT KIDS, NOT GUNS! 

NO MORE SILENCE/END GUN VIOLENCE

The artivist acts on behalf of others, speaking, acting as ally, protecting the planet and its children. There is much to be done, and many ways to do it. Readers are drawn to the story told as a reaction to the concern shown at every turn of the page. The art is remarkable in its use of color, scope, and powerful images. Compassion is at the heart of it, and assures opportunities for open and meaningful discussion. 

“The Artivist is you.
What change will you create?”                                                                               

Too Much Trash: How Litter Is Hurting Animals, written by Joan Marie Galat. Orca, 2023. $21.95 ages 9 and up

 

"If you're like me, discovering how trash harms 
animals can make you feel frustrated, but there is 
good news. As you'll see, we can find better ways 
to prevent the mess by examining why people 
leave garbage behind. We can uncover the most 
effective ways to clean up by looking at what 
happens to trash after it falls from a person's 
hand."

Appeal to a child's sense of right and wrong when it comes to animals and you are likely to get some action in combatting whatever it is that is affecting them. Tell them that litter is hurting animals, and they will appreciate knowing ways to make things better. 

In this book, Joan Marie Galat uses clear and convincing text to show how litter is created and what it does to our environment, and to animals and their habitats. When animals come in contact with the many forms of litter found where they live, they can be injured, face disease, even be poisoned by it. Cleaning it up, as too many know, can be very expensive. With climate change, its effects are more pronounced. 

In the first three chapters, the focus is on the problems that litter creates: why it is troublesome, where it comes from, and what happens when it is found in the wild. Throughout the reading, the author concentrates on solutions to those problems, providing readers with engaging ideas, and making them aware of the steps they can take to help alleviate the challenges to animals.

Ms. Galat also shines a light on young people who are making a difference, and what they are doing to encourage others. As is true of all books in the Orca Footprints series, sidebars add information pertinent to the learning, vivid captioned photos add context, fact boxes, charts, lists, and 'true or false' questions invite careful thought and conversation. The design is perfect for the target audience, offering just enough information to keep them attending to text, and providing answers to certain questions they may have.

Back matter includes acknowledgements, a list of print and online resources, an extensive glossary, and a helpful index.  

Imagine the changes we could make working together to ensure that animals are protected, while also protecting the natural wonder of the planet we call home. This book provides an excellent start toward accomplishing that goal. 

Little Land, written and illustrated by Diana Sudyka. Little, Brown and Company, Hachette. 2023. $23.99 ages 5 and up

"Until the land was so covered, many rarely 
thought of it anymore ... except when they 
wanted to take from it. 

Then they dug into the land, too, 
for everything they needed to make 
those buildings, factories, cars, 
and power plants work."

The book opens with a young child taking care of a small bit of land; she is watering plants growing above, while readers can also see the layers of earth below. That little bit of land was never big, nor was it tiny. It was home to the creatures it could sustain. Long ago it did not look the way it does now. 

In following spreads, the author describes the 'little land' as it looked millions of years ago, and even one hundred thousand years ago. It was cold then, and supported little life. Over the years, it changed and life began again. It was in a constant state of change, offering everything that humans needed to sustain their lives. Many of the events that caused it to change were catastrophic. Still, the land restored itself and supported life again. 

Too soon, humans built a house on the little land. Then, more and more people arrived and built houses, factories, and power plants, covering the land until no one remembered it had been where it once was. Problems arose and the world turned upside down. There was no stopping what they deemed progress. 

Toward the end, three young children who have been witness to some of the alarming changes make a decision to make a difference. 

"But even when things seem unstoppable, 
unrecognizable, 
and beyond repair ... 

look closely,
and listen, too." 

The little land is talking to us. It wants to find a way to begin again. What can we do to help that happen? The art was created in gouache watercolor on watercolor paper, and digitally enhanced. Ms. Sudyka is brilliant at creating impactful scenes that bring understanding to the way in which our planet replenishes itself despite the many changes it undergoes. She allows readers to see the imbalance in the world created by humans, and offers hope while watching the small changes the three children are encouraged to make in even the smallest ways. There is much to notice and discuss as the book is shared - it promotes important conversations. 

Back matter includes an author's note, a glossary of important concepts and questions, a nod to some of the animals and plants in their order of appearance, the different epochs represented in the telling, and a list of further resources. 

Informative, while also encouraging.