Lost in the Eco-struggle: A Post-colonial Ecocritical analysis of “Lost at the Beach.”

This study is a textual analysis of a Ghanaian children’s literature book titled Lost at the Beach, using Post-Colonial Ecocriticism. The research examines how the story reflects and critiques the complex relationship between humans and nature. It highlights the environmental consequences of extractive practices, such as illegal sand mining, and the ways these are embedded in societal activities, economic systems, and the authority of adults. Central to the study is the symbolic role of the beach as a site of both cultural memory and ecological loss, and the position of young people. By focusing on the experiences of child characters, the narrative reveals how colonial legacies and adult decisions alienate younger generations from sustainable relationships with their environment. This study contributes to children’s literature scholarship by highlighting the capacity of literary texts to engage young readers with themes of ecological justice, cultural continuity, and resistance to exploitative systems. It also highlights the value of post-colonial ecocriticism as a framework for analyzing African children's literature in ways that center both environmental and decolonial consciousness.