Join the No-Plastic Challenge! - (Exploring Our Community) by Scot Ritchie (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In this kid-friendly introduction to plastic pollution, the five friends from Scot Ritchie's popular series learn about single-use plastics, their effect on the environment and what the friends can do to help.

For his birthday celebration, Nick has challenged his friends -- Yulee, Sally, Pedro and Martin -- to spend the day without using any single-use plastic. This means they use their own cloth bags for shopping, they say no thanks to plastic straws and, instead of balloons, they decorate with kites and streamers made of natural materials. The children discover that not using plastic is not that hard. They also learn about what plastic is made of, how much of it surrounds us and how it's polluting our oceans and affecting the food chain. Most importantly, the five friends learn ways to use less -- including just saying NO! The book concludes with fun ideas for readers to do a No-Plastic Challenge of their own!

This friendly introduction to a timely and urgent topic is part of Scot Ritchie's popular Exploring Our Community series. It will raise awareness of just how much plastic we use every day, and why that matters. Rather than focusing on the negative, however, the book takes a positive, proactive approach to the subject, empowering children with ideas for what they can do about it. As with all the books in the series, this one features friendly, appealing illustrations and the same diverse cast of characters. It has strong curriculum ties in science, including environmental awareness, sustainability and stewardship. It also offers terrific character education lessons in responsibility, citizenship and initiative.

Review Quotes

... fun ...--CM Magazine

... fun as well as purposeful.--Booklist

A light-handed yet substantial guide to mindful resource usage.--Publishers Weekly

A must-have for classrooms and libraries ...--The Calgary Herald

At a time of heightened awareness of plastic pollution in the ocean, adults will welcome this introduction.--Kirkus Reviews

Cheerful illustrations and diverse characters help kids picture themselves making planet-friendly choices about plastics ...--Hakai Magazine

About the Author

Scot grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia, with his parents, one brother and a string of pets, including hamsters, cats, a dog, a variety of snakes and frogs, many bugs and a tortoise named Harold. One parent was creative and the other encouraging, so Scot started drawing and painting from a very early age. Scot was lucky to go on to make a living doing what he loves. He soon added writing and has now illustrated or written over 75 books. Whenever Scot is able, he packs up his mini office and travels around the world. He often enjoys extended stays in places such as Athens, Berlin and Honolulu while continuing to work. Being an artist with a lively imagination, Scot can almost convince himself he lives there. His books have been translated into many languages, including Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, Polish and Korean.