Voice of the Sea

From Australia’s beloved icon, singer-songwriter, JOHN WILLIAMSON, who brought us the bestselling Old Man Emu and Christmas in Australia, comes a new national anthem of the sea, now a powerful picture book.

Where did it go?
Where has it gone, your love for me?

We love our sandy beaches, our jewel seas and reefs brimming with life.
But our precious oceans are in trouble, and we all need to become part of the
voice to save them.

~*~

Books for all ages with conservation themes are popular these days as we navigate changes in the weather. And whilst must as many books celebrate the beauty of our beaches, there are books like Voice of the Sea that aim to bring attention to the things destroying the sea. As a turtle swims through the oceans and seas, it watches as humans use and abuse the sea – and sends the message that the sea misses the love it once had.

John Williamson’s lyrical song is sombre – in both prose and when it is sung, like a lament for what has been lost, and what is missing. In both sung and text version, this poem is evocative, and highlights a sense of loss – something that everyone should be able to relate to. This one is powerful, because it is very relevant to what the world is seeing these days with climate change.

The song lyrics are accompanied by vibrant pictures that moodily change throughout, showing the different ways the sea is devastated and changed, whilst it tries to care for the whales and turtles, dolphins and coral throughout history, contrasting the colourful, life-filled images of what the sea remembers itself being, and what the turtle remembers, to the bleached, vacant coral reefs that exist today.

It evokes a sense of disappointment and loss that illustrates how ships and factories have harmed the sea, and is a great tool to discuss the changing world, climate, and environment with younger readers, as it can show them what the impacts are in an age-appropriate way, and accessible way as well. As a reader, I felt it could be read on a variety of levels, from pure enjoyment of the song in prose form against images, to a very serious chat about climate change – so in essence, it is a book for everyone to enjoy and learn something from.