The Mess That We Made

by Michelle Lord, Julia Blattman (Illustrator)

Overview

The Mess That We Made explores the environmental impact of trash and plastic on the ocean and marine life, and it inspires kids to do their part to combat pollution. Simple, rhythmic wording builds to a crescendo ("This is the mess that we made. These are the fish that swim in the mess that we made.") and the vibrant digital artwork captures the disaster that is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Children can imagine themselves as one of the four multi-ethnic occupants of the little boat surrounded by swirling plastic in the middle of the ocean, witnessing the cycle of destruction and the harm it causes to plants, animals, and humans. The first half of the book portrays the growing magnitude of the issue, and the second half rallies children and adults to make the necessary changes to save our oceans. Facts about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, ocean pollution, and how kids can help are included in the back matter.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781947277144
Publisher:	Flashlight Press
Publication date:	01/01/2020
Edition description:	First
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	118,909
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	AD710L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 7 Years

About the Author

Michelle Lord has written several books for children, including A Song For Cambodia, Nature Recycles, and Animal School: What Class Are You?, which received a starred review from Kirkus.

Julia Blattman has worked as a visual development artist for animated feature films and Disney mobile games. This is her first picture book.

Editorial Reviews

03/09/2020

Riffing on “The House That Jack Built,” Lord crescendos cause and effect to show how human actions harm the ocean: “We are the people at work and at play/ that stuff the landfill, growing each day/ that spills the plastic thrown away,/ that traps the turtle, green and gray.” Blattman’s colorful, detailed illustrations show children peering into a swirling oceanic soup of plastic fragments where ghost nets and plastic bags entangle seals, whales, and turtles. Midway through, the narrative pivots: “BUT... we are the ones who can save the day.” Lord lists positive actions, using the same rhythms to build to a triumphant conclusion: “We protest the boat of welded steel,/ collect the nets/ and free the seal, that eats the fish.../ that swims in the ocean that WE save!” Though the illustrations move quickly from cataclysm to all-cleaned-up, many are realistically chilling. Substantial supplemental information explains landfills and oceanic pollution and suggests more ways to help. Ages 4–8. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

01/01/2020

K-Gr 3—In an informational picture book about oceanic pollution, Lord and Blattman present a clear and realistic message to young readers in a surprisingly enjoyable package. The rhyming text is in the style of "The House That Jack Built," with each of the stanzas ending with "the mess that we made." This phrase refers to enormous garbage patches made up largely of plastics and caused entirely by human beings. The "we" in the text is important, as Lord does not shy away from our collective responsibility to the earth's oceans and its animals. However, she ends on an uplifting note. Comprehensive back matter elaborates on each of the repeated phrases, describing how each animal is affected by pollution, why plastics are particularly problematic, and ways that children can make a difference. This includes individual acts such as using reusable bags, but also collective actions toward systemic change. Blattman's digital illustrations bring beauty and brightness to an otherwise heavy topic, without making light of the severity of the situation. The pieces of plastic look like neon-colored confetti, clearly standing out against the swirling natural blues and greens of the sea. Through vibrant and immersive underwater views, readers can see a boat full of children observing the scenes below and, finally, working to clean up the waters. VERDICT A successful addition in a growing genre of engaging picture books about pollution and environmentalism. Use to support an elementary science curriculum or pair with a book like Andrea Tsurumi's Crab Cake for a read-aloud.—Clara Hendricks, Cambridge Public Library, MA

School Library Journal

2019-10-27
The cadences of a familiar nursery rhyme introduce concerns about ocean garbage and what we, who made the mess, can do to help clean it up.

With the rhyme and meter of "The House That Jack Built," Lord builds the problem of plastic waste in the oceans from the fish that must swim through it to a netted seal, a trapped turtle, and overflowing landfills before turning to remedies: cleaning beaches and bays, reducing waste, and protesting the use of fishing nets. Two pages of backmatter describe problems in more detail, while a third elaborates potential solutions; suggestions for individual action are provided as well. Blattman's images begin with a racially diverse group of youngsters in a small boat in the center of a plastic trash gyre. The children, shown at different angles, bob spread by spread over trash-filled waters. To accompany the words, "Look at the mess that we made," she adds a polluted city skyline and a container ship belching smoke to the scene. Finally, the dismayed young boaters reach a beach where a clean-up is in process. From their little skiff they help scoop up trash, rescue the turtle, and wave protest signs. The message is important, even vital in today's world, but many caregivers and many environmentalists would eschew this doomful approach as a means of introducing environmental concerns to the early-elementary audience who might be drawn in by the nursery rhyme.

Well-intentioned but likely to overwhelm the intended readers and listeners. (map) (Informational picture book. 5-9)

Kirkus Reviews

"Our lives depend on the ocean. Fish consume our waste and then end up on our dinner plates. I hope that this beautifully illustrated book will serve as a tool to pass on the importance of the ocean to future generations and beyond.” —Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of The Nippon Foundation and founder of Change for the Blue

From the Publisher