Interactive coloring book teaches kids about water pollution

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A dynamic duo has a creative way to teach people about the dangers of water pollution. There commitment to getting the word out to clean up our water sources is what's right with Tampa Bay.

Kids are captivated as Pamela Joy Trow reads from her interactive coloring book titled, "There’s a Crystal Clear Pond: The Unseen World of Water Pollution." 

"It's really a call for hopefully young children to grow up and be stewards of clean water," said Trow. 

The book connects science and art to tell a story about the effects of water pollution through the eyes of a little girl.

"The child drops a lot of things into a pond and pollutes it, and the creatures help teach her a lesson," said Trow, who is the creator of the coloring book. "So what we did is, we wanted people to see what happens when something is put into the pond that doesn't belong there." 

Trow wrote the book 10 years ago with the help of biochemist Dr. Jeremiah Tipton.

He created small images of harmful items to show the effects of polluting the water. 

"Normally we're only getting the one piece of information, just the visual… Here, we're teaching what's going on at the molecular level to help with the understanding of what's going on in the background," he said. 

The partners are getting their message out by holding workshops at Pinellas County libraries.

"We want them to leave with much more awareness of what happens when you throw out your coffee cup or your milk container or your grocery bag, and you throw it out in water, or you put it somewhere that the garbage collects, and it winds up in the water," Trow said. 

Parents also hope the book will teach their kids the importance of clean water. It's an innovative approach to teaching families about how to take better care of Mother Earth.

There are many more planned workshops throughout Pinellas County. For more information, email info@pamelajoytrow.com.