Author Deborah Diesen and illustrator Dan Hanna team up once again in this eighth full-sized picture-book devoted to the maritime adventures of that reformed pouter, the Pout-Pout Fish. Admiring the beauty of the ocean one day, our piscine hero is dismayed to see a pile of trash. Enlisting the help of his friends, he sets out to clean up the mess...

Pairing an engaging tale told in rhyme - "There's a problem that needs solving, / And we don't know what to do. / But we're going to find some answers. / Would you like to join us, too?" - with bright, colorful artwork, The Pout-Pout Fish Cleans Up the Ocean would make for an excellent read-aloud. The ecological message is abundantly clear throughout, but the rhymes keep everything lighthearted, while the story-line presents a can-do attitude to solving problems like pollution and over-consumption. Recommended to fans of the Pout-Pout Fish, and to anyone looking for fairly gentle picture-books about the importance of environmental stewardship. ( )