Inspiring and fascinating, The Global Ocean by Rochelle Strauss and Natasha Donovan is a call to immediate action to help preserve our beautiful watery places.

The Global Ocean, part of Kids Can Press’ Citizen Kid collection of books aimed at teaching children about the wider world around them, is a nonfiction book that takes readers to the spaces that make up the majority of the Earth, the oceans. Rochelle Strauss lays out all of the ways in which oceans and ocean dwelling creatures are at risk. From trash to climate change, overfishing and habitat loss we learn why it’s so important to turn our attention to preserving “Earth’s Beating Heart”.

Rochelle Strauss packs an incredible amount of information into this remarkable book. As an adult reader, I learned so much about why oceans are so important to life on earth and things that we can all do to help it heal and reverse the damage already done. I had mistakenly assumed that our fresh water lakes were the most important and now I know that all water is vital to life on Earth. Throughout the book there are informative side bars, and asides letting young readers know about the things that are happening to turn the tide, what people just like them are doing to inform others and protect the water.

This book is incredibly informative but it’s the illustrations that sink right into readers' hearts. Natasha Donovan fills each two page spread with larger than life illustrations. Readers will be immediately drawn to the beauty within the pages and will stick around to learn all about the vast waterways and majestic animals featured.