AUGUSTA – The Maine Coastal Program at the Maine State Planning Office has published a free environmental children’s book, “The Watershed Journey of Linus Loon.” The book is entertaining and educational and includes many illustrations.

The book, designed for grades three through seven, teaches students the basics of watershed ecology and nonpoint source pollution and encourages environmental appreciation, awareness and stewardship.

Created by Hampden resident Josh Atwood, the story follows young Linus Loon, who must migrate to the ocean by swimming through the watershed due to a broken wing.

The book’s full-page pen and watercolor illustrations were created by Brunswick artist Thaddeus Lyford. The illustrations depict many specimens of flora and fauna indigenous to Maine, as well as visual representations of ecological concepts.

The book is accompanied by two handbooks. The educator handbook provides background information on the central ecological concept, and provides a correlation of the text to the Maine Learning Results.

The student handbook includes vocabulary from each chapter as well as each chapter’s troll questions.

The book is available to educators in hard copy free and may also be downloaded at the Linus Loon Web site, www.maine.gov/­spo/mcp/ resources/linus/index.php, where visitors will also find downloadable versions of the handbooks.

To request a hard copy of the book, contact the Maine Coastal Program at 207-287-1486.