WAVE MAKERS

McGee’s children’s book offers a joyful and hopeful introduction to protecting the superheroes of the sea.

Students in a classroom gather to listen to listen to guest speaker Dr. Sylvia Earle, an esteemed oceanographer, scientist, and explorer. The class is soon captivated as she explains how the sea is, believe it or not, filled with “superheroes”—beings with unique, amazing capabilities. These aquatic marvels, almost always shown smiling, are brought to joyous life through the bright and vivid palette of Halionka, the book’s illustrator. The racially diverse students are likewise depicted as smiling, wide-eyed, and enraptured as Dr. Earle shares extraordinary facts about a series of sea creatures including the oyster, octopus, and starfish. In her discussion of how oysters clean and filter water, Dr. Earle’s presentation shifts as she emphasizes the importance of these sea creatures and their need for our protection. She points out, “The more we interfere with their habitat, the less they can protect us.” Dr. Earle deems those who decide to help the oceans’ inhabitants as “Wave Makers” and encourages everyone to become involved. Later that day, one of the students is inspired and eagerly asks her mother if they can visit the beach; she’s determined to become a Wave Maker as soon as possible (she has to wait until the weekend). When finally there, faced with the vastness of the ocean, she contemplates how to begin her journey as a Wave Maker. Expertly mixing engaging facts with a solid narrative throughline, the book has high re-readability value. Younger readers may want to linger on the facts and illustrations, or feel moved to visit a beach and participate in conservation efforts themselves. At the end of the book the author includes a useful glossary, five practical tips for making an immediate environmental impact as a young Wave Maker, and links to online resources for further reading.

An educational story to inspire young readers to become environmental change-makers.