Seahorses

August 6, 2012
Digital images combine naturalistic elements with dramatic luminescence in this story that follows a male seahorse through its life cycle. After detailing the seahorse’s growth, traits, and diet, Curtis poetically describes the moment when it meets a
female, then prepares to mate: “His fins become very dark brown as he waltzes around her to music only he can hear.” Readers may be surprised to learn that the male carries the
fertilized eggs inside his pouch: “While he is pregnant, he remains quite still, eating only the krill that happen to drift in front of him.” A bountiful birth of seahorse fry and their departure into the green-glowing sea offers a graceful finale. Ages 4–up.

August 15, 2012
A lovely, gentle examination of this most charming and fascinating of sea creatures. Written in clear, straightforward yet poetic prose, this small book conveys basic information in an awestruck tone befitting this ethereal animal. Wallace's softly colored and delicately textured, digitally created artwork beautifully captures the seahorse's graceful, lyrical movements and lush habitat. Close-ups bring out its remarkable appearance. Most delightful are the scenes with a mated pair, their tails coiled. One senses that perhaps only such otherworldly creatures could form a perfect heart while in each other's embrace. Young readers will be captivated to learn that seahorses, like chameleons, change color to match their environment and that males carry their mate's eggs and, amazingly, give birth to live young. The author has not provided a bibliography, though many books about seahorses have been written for young readers. She includes a list of websites for further inquiry and inspiration. A very handsome, fundamental introduction to a fish that captures the attention, imagination and heart. (glossary, author's note) (Informational picture book. 6-9)

COPYRIGHT(2012) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

October 1, 2012

PreS-Gr 2- A seahorse's life from small-fry to fatherhood is told in a text that reads like a story but is full of facts and new vocabulary. The dreamy digitally created illustrations take readers underwater to the small creatures' habitat. These fascinating fish come to life and even seem to have a bit of personality in this lovely book. A short glossary of terms is included, as is an author's note detailing the destruction of seahorse habitat and the damage that overfishing has done to this diminishing species. Find a spot for this one.-Heather Acerro, Rochester Public Library, MN

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 15, 2012
Preschool-G A tiny baby seahorse swims along, grasps a blade of eelgrass with his tail, and changes color until he blends with his new surroundings. Eating the krill and other small animals floating by, he grows to adulthood. After an elaborate courtship ritual, a female seahorse deposits hundreds of eggs in his pouch. The eggs hatch into fry, which he expels from the pouch. A new baby seahorse swims away, beginning her life in the ocean. The text frequently uses metaphorical language, likening a baby seahorse to a tiny gymnast performing on an invisible mat, and writing of a mated pair dancing to music only they can hear. From the scene showing hundreds of baby seahorses released from their father's pouch to close-ups of one particular baby as he grows to maturity, the illustrations' soft edges, gentle colors, and filtered light give the digital illustrations a certain visual charm beyond their value in providing information.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)