"Litter is terrible, awful and bad! What can we do? Said the girls feeling sad."
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The Adventures of Ollie & Ronnie: Litter by Maria Cook Trafford Publishing
book review by Jenifer Kimble
This book is a short, rhyming adventure that follows two sisters, Ollie and Ronnie attempting to go green and stop litter. While visiting their Aunt Angie and walking to the harbor, a gust of wind brings litter to their feet and sadness to their hearts. As the girls look around they see litter everywhere, from crumpled paper to someone's retainer. Aunt Angie explains that people are sometimes careless and that the effects of litter are widespread even affecting the ocean. The girls get a short lesson on how they can prevent litter and better their town with some simple awareness and cleanup.
The book uses short poetic stanzas to move the reader from page to page. It addresses an obvious environmental issue in a way the children can understand. It would be nice to see a few more audience appropriate tips to give readers more ways to prevent or correct litter problems. It is very well illustrated and has an overall classic and tenured look. The author seems to lay the groundwork for additional Ollie and Ronnie adventures, which could conceivable take on a life of their own. This little book would make a nice addition to the reading materials during Earth Day and is age appropriate considering its simple words and sentences from preschool through about a 1st grade reading level.