Ocean Friends is a project that has been ongoing since September 2018. As a whole it’s purpose is to inform and educate about plastic waste and it’s effects on our oceans. I worked with a small team to produce a set of children’s books aimed at 2-5 year olds with a gentle narrative, written to help lay the seeds of an early appreciation of the changes we’re seeing in oceans. The story aims to encourage families with young children to grow up with recycling as a second nature.

Working with Illustrator, Kezia Lovell, our initial project generated a small run of three designs, stories that link to one another but can also be read as a standalone book. This was in order to make the books as accessible as possible, whether parents want to buy a single book or invest in a set. These books act as the kickstarter for the project, providing valuable awareness for the project and generating initial income for developing the future of OceanCraft.

This is very much the beginning point of this project. The three books are a stepping stone to help gauge the market and more accurately define our target audience. A trial run of these books is being run and, all being well, there are plans for a further 7 books. This will give us an identity as a creator of children’s literature, we plan to use this element of the brand to produce educational packs for use in primary schools to continue the goal of a future where our oceans can be clean.

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