Meet Nurdle.....
The children's book about microplastics
Nurdle wants to be helpful but he is not being looked after properly, he is getting in all the wrong places, causing all sorts of trouble.
What's the problem with Nurdles?
I first discovered Nurdles in 2018, but only in small numbers.
I was introduced to nurdles in their millions at Chessel Bay in Southampton by a Surfers against Sewage rep. What she showed me blew my mind!
Each white dot you see on the floor is a nurdle or microplastic!
Nurdle was Born....
I shovelled handfuls of the shoreline in to a bag and took it home to await inspiration.
First I used it to make microplastic jewellery and the 'talk about me" turtle necklaces. I then started to talk about Nurdles with my class.
We sorted nurdles and investigated the different types of plastics found in the beach samples and eventually entered a national engineering competition to create nurdle removing machines.
Talking with the children and playing with ocean plastic artwork led to Nurdle being created in my mind while driving back from another trip to Chessel Bay.
I wanted Nurdle to be cute and engaging, a character that children fell in love with and wanted to help. Plastics are not the enemy, the provide life saving medical advancements. However, when we do not look after plastics, and rely on single use plastics this is when problems emerge.
The more plastic we use, the more nurdles get free, to cover the land and rivers and sea. Nurdles are not the enemy.....we are!
Writing Nurdle
I wrote Nurdle - The children's book about micro plastic while driving home from a beach clean.
I wanted to explain the journey of Nurdles from the factory to the ocean, all the different ways nurdles escape and the fact that it is human negligence that is to blame.
I worked with talented author Jo Joof to illustrate Nurdle. Natural things were drawn by Jo with stunning water colours and I added the plastic and nurdles with photos of genuine beach finds.
Crowdfunder enabled us to create and print Nurdle the Book illustrated with Ocean plastics.
10% of profits from the first 500 books went to the Marine Conservation Society and Surfers against Sewage.
Out now...
Nurdle and the Ghost Net
The Nurdle Family set off on their boat made of wood on a mission to do good. they soon find a dolphin who needs their help!
Nurdle and the Microplastics
Nurdle finds himself back in the ocean and hears the stories of the other microplastics.
This story encourages children to look after their things, reduce, reuse and recycle.
Read & Enjoy......
All of the Nurdle books can be ordered direct through me for £8 or 3 for £21 or you can order them into any bookshop.