The Ocean Is...
Grade 1-3-The ocean is a playground, a traffic jam, a secret hideout, and more in the 10 rhymed scenarios in this underwater tour. Each quatrain is set in white type on one page of a photographic spread. "The ocean is-/A STAGE" where "These dolphins dance and leap above/Their watery arena,/Performing like a graceful pair/Of long-nosed ballerinas." The leaping dolphins are silhouetted against an orange-suffused, darkened sky, but most views feature animals and plants beneath the waves as starfish, a toothy shark, and flowery sponges appear in turn. A small note on the verso of the title page names the pictured species. Though the book has the appearance of simple nonfiction, no other information is added, and the colorful scenes have no particular order or relationship to one another. Touches of humor soften the repetitive rhythm, and the handsome photographs offer intriguing glimpses into the watery world. Teachers might find the imagery and the album format a pleasant means of introducing discussions of ocean life.Margaret Bush, Simmons College, BostonCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.