"An absolutely stunning book, a visual feast for the eyes, a fascinating story for the heart, and warning of the environmental impact of plastic in our oceans for the mind."
A charming, thoughtful, quirky yet stunning little book awaits anyone with a yen for beauty, and in particular those with a love for lego, beach combing, the environment and the impact of humans on our oceans. Beachcomber Tracey Williams has been finding lego washed up on beaches for years, ever since a container of nearly 5 million pieces of lego fell off a cargo ship in 1997. Here she examines the journeys the lego pieces have taken, the history of beach combing, and the environment consequences of plastic in our oceans. Even though I’m well aware of the fabulous books Unicorn publishes, I have to say that I wasn’t quite expecting this treasure to fall into my hands. It is full of colourful images including photos, paintings, and sketches. Personal memories, newspapers cuttings, poems, notes, and interviews populate the pages. While there is much to delight, the consequences of our littering of the oceans is made abundantly clear. The irony of much of the lego pieces belonging to a set about the sea, is not lost. Oceanographer Dr Curtis Ebbesmeyer began following the lego spillage back in 1997, and his section really hits home. He talks about one spillage in the Pacific where items floated around the world and he says of the plastic: “I like to tell people how one green frog washed up in the Gulf of Mexico, having been in the sea for twenty-six years”. He succinctly finishes: “It looks like James Bond had it wrong. It’s not diamonds that are forever. It’s actually plastic”. The story of the lego is a fascinating one, from the beach combing art of the finds, through to highlighting the environmental impact. This book would make a perfect gift for all ages, younger children will be fascinated by the colour as an older reader guides them, lego enthusiasts will be thrilled, anyone with an interest in the ocean and our environment I am sure will be captivated. Adrift really is special, it contains 183 pages of engaging information and images, and we declare it a LoveReading Star Book.
