Lulu and Malek Sail Off to Sea is an adorable children's book with an important message. The story follows Lulu and Malek as they head off to the beach to meet up with their whale friend. But when they arrive at the beach, they see it's covered in garbage. Instead of shrugging it off and ignoring it in favor of spending time with their friend, Lulu and Malek decide to tidy up the beach. And when they finally get to hang out with their whale friend, Lulu and Malek discover just how wonderful and magical a place the earth really is.
This is a cute story that teaches kids about the environment and keeping the earth free from pollution. Even the smallest thing, like picking up trash on the beach, can be beneficial in the grand scheme of things.
The story itself is easy to read, with a fun rhyming scheme that young readers will enjoy. The illustrations are beautiful, as well, and really capture the majesty of the ocean. Very bright and colorful, and young readers will find themselves drawn in by the beauty of it all.
A 5 star read for me!
Natural Habitat Along the Coastline of KwaZulu-Natal
By
June N. Foster
The
story of Lulu and Malek Sail Off to Sea is set in South Africa, along
the coastline of northern
KwaZulu-Natal. The views and
underwater settings are breath-taking. As Rob and I researched the area, there
were many interesting facts that we learned. One interesting fact is that the
South African coastline is approximately 2,800 kms, 150 km of which is coral
reef. The long coastline influences much of the climate. Along the west coast
is the cold Atlantic Ocean, while conversely, the warm Indian Ocean lies on the
east and south coast. In Africa, the summer season lasts from October until
March, and winter from June until August.
Due
to acidification, overfishing and pollution the majority of coral reefs on the
planet are under threat; however, in South Africa, 100% of the coral reefs are
in a Marine Protected Area. The “Seven Mile Reef” located at Sodwana Bay boasts
crystal clear water with thousands of vibrantly colored fish, coral and
unparalleled topography.
Our
illustrator, Gill Guile superbly captured the beauty and abundance of the coral
reef highlighting schools of fish, turtles, manta rays, and dolphins! Ragged
Tooth Sharks can be seen in the area. Each year, a natural phenomenon takes
place known as “The Greatest Shoal on Earth.” Thousands of sardines travel
along the coast during the cold winter months of June and July in search of the
warmer waters of KwaZulu Natal to birth their young. The sandy beaches along
KwaZulu Natal’s northern stretch provide vital nesting sites for loggerhead and
leatherback turtles. For several hours each November, on bright moonlit nights,
female turtles will drag themselves high onto the beach, dig a large hole with
their front flippers, lay around 50 - 100 eggs, cover their nests and head back
to sea. Due to natural predators, only a small percentage (one or two for every
thousand) of the hatchlings survive. Across the globe, nearly all sea turtles
are endangered. As they venture in the sea, entanglement in fishing gear, loss
of feeding sites, poaching, and ocean pollution have left them in a vulnerable
state.
As
our story of Lulu and Malek Sail Off to Sea began to take shape, it was
important for us to add a few, gently introduced scenes that addressed
pollution. Cherishing and preserving our earth’s wildlife is a passion we all
share. Rob, Gill and I were thrilled to be able to capture the beauty of
northern KwaZulu-Natal’s coastline and its abundant and beautiful coral reefs.
We hope you and your littles ones will love the vibrant colors and diverse sea
life our story captures.
8 Comments
I love the cover.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your wonderful review of Lulu and Malek Sail Off to Sea!, I am looking forward to reading this book with my grandchildren.
ReplyDeleteTo the authors, thank you for sharing your guest post, bios and the book details I love the adorable cover!
This sounds like a wonderful book!
ReplyDeleteThis is a really cute cover.
ReplyDeleteThis would be a great book to read with my son!
ReplyDeleteI love the illustration on the front cover!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful story. Children just love animal stories.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a lovely book! My kids would love it!
ReplyDeletePlease try not to spam posts with the same comments over and over again. Authors like seeing thoughtful comments about their books, not the same old, "I like the cover" or "sounds good" comments. While that is nice, putting some real thought and effort in is appreciated. Thank you.