Booklist Reviews 2023 March #1

This picture book drives home the reality that plastic never really goes away by having a discarded sandwich bag return to the little girl who threw it away in the first place. The story starts with little Marina’s mother making her a sandwich for school and putting it in a plastic wrapper with Marina’s name on it. Once Marina throws away the plastic in a trash bin, the wrapper’s adventures begin, moving from bin to truck to trash dump—and then, when the wind picks up, into the sea. Byrd opts for the comical when showing the effects of plastic in the sea (for example, an old shrimp thinks the floating plastic is a UFO). Eventually, the plastic floats to the surface and drifts to the edge of a plastic-choked beach where the little girl is shocked to find the bag with her name on it. The resolution includes advice like starting small by using paper bags, while two ending sections, “Ocean Plastic Facts” and “Ocean Plastic Solutions,” add information to this relatable title. Grades 1-3. Copyright 2023 Booklist Reviews.