The Earth Needs a Break from Plastic
TYPE
Children's Book
COMPLETED
2020
OVERVIEW
The Earth Needs a Break from Plastic - The first in a series of books educating young people about global issues. This edition focuses on plastic; a useful but dangerous material. The book offers alternative materials that children can use instead of plastics. Paper cut-outs and collected plastics were used to form the book’s illustrations. All products used were environmentally friendly, including paper scraps and cut-offs.
Inspiration
The Earth Needs a Break from Plastic - A book intended to inform and inspire our future generation to reduce their plastic footprint and get creative with other types of materials and tactics.
This story was inspired by a conversation overheard on my travels back home from work. Two people sat behind me discussing the wastefulness of single-use plastics and brainstorming possible alternatives.
Construction
All spreads use rhyming, creating a fun and engaging way to read about a difficult topic. The illustrations were created from construction paper (some new, most recycled) cut out and scanned to digitally manipulate it. The act of cutting and gluing is something I've done effectively with kids around my target audience’s age in school and at home.
Gathering plastics from the streets was an eye-opening experience. I became more conscious about how much myself, and others consume. I urge you to be mindful of the plastic you use. Try keeping all the plastic you use for a week and examine what it was used for. Do you use most plastic in the bathroom? The kitchen? Is it from food or clothing packaging?
LISTEN
PURCHASE