One Ocean

Key Selling Points

• This STEM title introduces young readers to seven practical actions they can take to protect oceans, including falling in love with the animals who live there, thinking small, sharing, keeping it clean, getting political, considering the climate crisis and using their words. They will also learn words to know when it comes to protecting oceans and discover species of note such as orcas, krill and sharks.
• Readers will be inspired by the stories of young ocean activists from all over the world, including Ta’Kaiya Blaney, a singer-songwriter and actor from the Tla’amin Nation in British Columbia, Rylee Grace, beach cleanup organizer and founder of Promise to Our Keiki in Hawaii, and Finlay Pringle, who campaigned against the dumping of raw sewage into the ocean near his home in Scotland, among others.
• The health of the ocean is topical because of the effects of climate change and the problems of plastic waste––13 million tons of plastic enter the ocean every year. The world’s oceans cover 70 percent of the planet and 250,000 different species call it home. Every year, 2,000 more species are added to that list.
• In a time of rising climate anxiety, this title gives young readers hope for the future and the belief that even small actions can make a big difference.
• This book refers to a single ocean, rather than several, to help facilitate a shift in thinking that supports the idea that since all “oceans” connect, there is really only one ocean.
• Mark Leiren-Young is an award-winning writer, documentary filmmaker, podcaster and orca activist. This is his fourth middle-grade nonfiction title with Orca. He’s written Orcas Everywhere, Sharks Forever and Octopus Ocean in the Orca Wild series.