Grades 1–3
This picture book describes the daily of activities occurring in a reef presented. Each sentence is packed with information and is perfect for a budding scientist.
Reds, purples, golds, and black and white pop off the page. A lime green moray eel glides across a spread as it stalks fish in the dark by smell. Why does it ignore a sleeping parrot fish?, the narrative asks. Readers see a muted blue fish on the page next to the eel and learn that it oozes out a filmy body covering that disguises its color and masks its odor while it sleeps.
The illustrations are colorful with mixed textures. Life under the sea is fascinating and the illustrations capture the the alien environment that is the coral reef. Some fish live in harmony, eating the dead skin off other fish. But the reef is not a safe place for all fish. Some fish are prey to sharks, barracudas, or eels. It's a strange existence under the sea, and the illustrations (do what they should!) illustrate the life of a fish who lives there.
The book concludes with two pages of facts about coral reefs, a list of famous reefs, and the current and future threats to these endangered habitats. The endpapers silhouetting the reef animals in shades of blue and black are inviting and haunting at the same time.
This is a great book for anyone who is interested in the ocean. Are you going to the beach this summer? Pick up this book and share with the kids what it would be like to be a swimming thing!
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