Sarah Anker, a current Suffolk County legislator who lives in Mt. Sinai, NY, has published a children’s picture book on ocean pollution entitled Below the Ocean: Keeping Our Sea Friends Safe. The book targets young children ages 2- 10 years and provides an engaging story about a young seal and her encounters with ocean pollution.
“Having raised three children and knowing how important it is to teach our kids about respecting and maintaining our environment, I decided to take the plunge into writing this book, as well as additional children’s environmental books,” said Anker. “Long before I ran for public office, I was involved in beach cleanups, advocating for clean water and air, recycling our garbage and preserving open space. We all need to do more, and I hope this book will inspire children and their parents to be environmental superheroes,”
The illustrator, Lily Liu, is an award-winning artist who has provided illustrations for several top-selling children’s books. The vibrant colors and adorable characters capture your attention as the main character, Sophia the Seal, becomes entangled in a helium balloon string and learns how plastic pollution is affecting sea life and our ocean.
Plastics have been on Earth for close to 70 years and in that time, we have created over 9 billion tons of plastic waste. Most plastics are not recycled and end up as garbage in landfills and in our ocean. Below the Ocean not only informs young readers about ocean pollution, but it also provides insight on what they can do to keep our ocean clean and safe. To order copies for your future ocean stewards, visit Ankerbooks.com. ■
