Nellie Choc-Ice and the Plastic Island; Jeremy Strong, illustrated by Jamie Smith

Macaroni Penguin, Nellie Choc-Ice, lives in Antarctica near the South Pole and she is the most famous penguin explorer in the world. Nellie’s exploring has taken her all the way to the Arctic and the North Pole - and by exploring I mean she has floated away on a piece of ice. In need of a lift home, Nellie joins Captain Beardy-Beard on his submarine but things don’t quite go to plan when they become trapped by a huge plastic island. And they’re not the only ones that are stuck in the huge plastic mess. Can adventurous Nellie untangle everyone and come up with a plan to clean up the ocean…

Another great addition to the ‘Little Gems’ series. This one has a really important message for young readers and that is that we must protect our oceans from plastic. The story has lots of facts included in it and it is important that children know that the huge island made up of plastic that Nellie finds is real. Unfortunately, what is not real is what Nellie accomplishes - her big clean-up operation is fiction not fact. It is an entertaining and thought-provoking read that is the perfect fit for smaller hands. The chapters are short, there are plenty of colourful illustrations and there are even some tips on how to keep the oceans plastic-free on the inside front cover.

A great little read and one that introduces young children to a very important topic. It provides lots of opportunities for discussions about protecting the oceans and the animals that call them home and our responsibility to try to use less plastic.

Recommended for 5+.