Come to the Ocean's Edge
PreSchool-Grade 2-A poetic text and beautifully composed watercolor paintings describe coastal creatures and their habitat. Beginning at dawn, when a "fog's wet breath hides the seashore" and gulls take flight, "their shadowy forms like ghosts in the mist," Pringle takes readers through a 24-hour period. As the day brightens, sanderlings investigate the beach, a mole crab rides a wave to shore and digs into the sand, and people arrive to relax and explore. Afternoon brings low tide, exposing tidal pools as well as shells and other objects scattered along the beach. At night, the wind rises and waves pound the shore. However, all is peaceful beneath the surf, where kelp sways with the currents and lobsters and bluefish search for food. Morning begins the cycle again. Filled with descriptive language, the text progresses smoothly through the day, providing just enough information to interest readers but never getting bogged down with too much detail. Additional facts about the animals mentioned and their environment are provided on the last page. The spreads alternate between dramatic seaside vistas and close-ups of different creatures. While providing a realistic view of this environment, the artwork also echoes the expressive tone of the narrative, depicting the seashore as "the edge of something vast, wild, and mysterious." A wonderful choice to share with children before a summer vacation or to use as an introduction to an ecology unit.Joy Fleishhacker, formerly at School Library JournalCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.