Plight of the Pelican – Perfect Picture Book Friday

We need this reminder of what the world was like before we banned DDT, before we had the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts. Oh, and remember Superfund? Oh, yeah….We need to remember, because we don’t want to return to those days. I’m pleased to place the spotlight on this new picture book. A new generation needs to know what happened. And WHY banning the use of damaging chemicals is important.

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I hope this lyrically written and equally lyrically illustrated (plus the fabulous text design!) is reaching millions of kids, not just for Earth Day, but for every day. Check out this first spread.

For millions of years, pelicans have flown over Earth,
skimming the salty sea breeze,
then climbing
        higher
             and 
                   higher
                                searching
                                spotting
                   diving
             down
        down
SPLASH!
scoop
gulp.

Between the alliteration, assonance, and active verbs, plus the shape of this opening line, and glorious illustration, I am primed to read the rest of this book. The next spread proves to be just as stunning as the first.

But in the 1950s,
something put their future at risk.
With every
SPLASH
scoop
gulp,
           something was silently staying,
           silently building.

I don’t know about you, but I want to spend LOTS of time poring over this image. The way Wright portrays this unseen world is both funny and magical. So THIS is what’s going on below the surface when a pelican dives! An entire world of activity!!

The story continues as scientists struggle to understand why birds and other animals are disappearing. It’s a race against time. And when we reach the point where scientists discover that DDT is major problem, a brilliant vertical spread creates a visual picture of bioaccumulation, how toxins enter the food web and accumulate in predators.

Folks this is an INSPIRED infographic, one that can be understood with few words of explanation. Brilliant!

All right. I’m not going to say any more, except this: PLIGHT OF THE PELICAN should be required reading for everyone, not just kids. For we need to remind ourselves how far we have come, and how we never want to return to those days where regulations were not in place to protect our precious planet. If anything, as misguided executive orders spew forth, promoting increased fossil fuel burning, deep sea mining, logging of forests within national parks, and other harmful practices, we need regulations now more than ever!

Eight pages of back matter describes how DDT hurts birds, the grass roots organizing that brought about the banning of DDT, how people can be the source of environmental change, plus more info about brown pelicans, a glossary, sources, and index. Congrats to Jessica and Gordy on the making of this important and beautiful book!

Activities:

Make an origami pelican or origami eagle.

If you have a garden, use this handbook created by East Georgia State College for safely managing pests in the yard and garden.

Here’s a whole list of kid-friendly activities from the EPA (for as long as it’s still available) on managing insect pests safely.

Title: Plight of the Pelican

Author: Jessica Stremer

Illustrator: Gordy Wright

Publisher: Holiday House, 2025

Ages: Elementary school and older

Themes: environment, birds, pesticides

For more perfect picture book recommendation, please visit Susanna Hill’s website.