Flipflopi: How a Boat Made from Flip-Flops Is Helping to Save the Ocean

Flip-flops and other plastic debris form the sailboat that stars in this real-life story from Ravin Lodding and Pabari, about a Kenyan coastal community’s response to ocean trash. Upon discovering plastic sandals littering the beach, Juma and his boat-builder grandfather have the ingenious idea to melt them down into material for a functional watercraft. Before long, the whole community gets involved, and muted illustrations by Machira Mwangi depict Juma and many others picking up litter and contributing to growing mounds. When at last the boat is complete, the sheets of melted footwear give it a vibrant appearance—“pale pink like watermelon flesh,/ blue as blue as the Lamu sky, and/ green the color of mango skin.” Concluding pictures show the vessel, christened Flipflopi, taking a maiden voyage after a brilliant sunrise—an uplifting symbol of the awakening featured. Back matter offers more about Flipflopi and tips for avoiding single-use plastics. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)