He Aha Te Raru Ki Tai? - Mij le Abijn Dahpaduvvamin? What's the Matter with the Sea?

"Every year, humans produce more than 400 million tonnes of plastic, equivalent to the weight of three million blue whales."

'He Aha te Raru ki Tai?' takes readers on a journey across the oceans, from Otago, New Zealand, to Gamvik, Norway, alongside two Māori researchers, Aihe and Whina. Invited to speak at a conference about plastic pollution, they explore the growing problem of plastic waste in our oceans asking important questions such as, "Is plastic spreading everywhere?"

Along the way, readers learn about the impact of plastic pollution on marine environments while following an informative narrative. A world-first trilingual picture book, the story is presented in Te Reo Māori, the endangered Lule Sámi language, and English, making it a celebration of Indigenous languages and delivering a strong environmental message.

Piotrowska's illustrations are striking, at times almost haunting. I particularly liked the pages looking through binoculars where only small circular images are the focus.

The book concludes with information about projects working to reduce plastic pollution in our oceans and invites readers to reflect on their own actions by asking: "Can you think of five things we can do to stop using plastic?"

Thought-provoking, and visually compelling, 'He Aha te Raru ki Tai?' is an excellent introduction to ocean conservation and environmental responsibility for young readers.