Ocean commotion: caught in the currents by Janeen Mason.

This is a brief fictionalised story about little yellow rubber ducks and their journey around the Pacific Ocean and beyond.

In 1992, a storm in the Pacific Ocean washed in a container load of yellow rubber ducks – nearly 29,000 of them - overboard.

The bath toys floated around the Pacific Ocean carried by the currents. They were found as far North as the Arctic Ocean, as far South as Tonga and Fiji, and 16 years later, as far east as the coast of Newfoundland, in the Atlantic Ocean. Beachcombers reported their finds to a scientist in Seattle, Washington. He kept a record of when and where the ducks came ashore. The map inside the front and back covers show the ocean currents they floated on.

While the story and art work are at a junior primary level, I think the ideas contained in the book are more suited to older children. In this brief tale, we are introduced to ocean currents, the interconnectedness of oceans, and the longevity of plastic resulting in ocean pollution. The Dear Reader page at the back comments on this aspect. An interesting thought provoking perspective when looking at science, oceans, and pollution.

Image: Rubber duckie by Steve Webel on Flickr