Ocean Hide and Seek

June 1, 2009
K-Gr 3-Short verses and deep-hued paintings introduce the ways in which sea animals use camouflage for protection. Each spread presents one animal and its form of protection. For example, one page shows a crab that hides by attaching bits of kelp to its shell. The second line of each four-line verse repeats the last words of the first line twice in a "Muffin-Man"-like sequence: "Floating there, before our eyes/before our eyes, before our eyes." This gives a jarringly young feel to what is otherwise a serious informational book. The page quoted here ends with these graceful lines: "A seaweed curtain bares its prize, /a tiny dragon in disguise." The illustrations, most of creatures that live far beneath the sea, are, of necessity, quite dark and are best viewed by individual readers. The endnotes are more than supplemental; they are necessary, as they explain the methods of camouflage and the species features. Extensive online support includes a teacher's guide, which seems aimed at a third- through fifth-grade audience, and correlates with standards for specific states. Useful in collections where books on sea creatures or camouflage are needed."Ellen Heath, Easton Area Public Library, Easton, PA"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2009
Grades K-3 This effective picture book shows how ocean animals use different forms of camouflage to hide from predators. Beginning with a scene at the edge of the sea, the illustrations take readers far below the waters surface to observe wildlife hidden in various ways. The double-page spreads carry large, horizontal pictures, many of which are notable for the extreme, though probably realistic, darkness of their colors. Patient study of the scenes is often rewarded as shadowy sea creatures gradually come into view. Four-line rhymed verses comment on the animals that can be seen in the pictures, though sometimes in a rather cryptic way. Happily for the many children who are left with questions (and the many adults who are unable to answer them), the book concludes with a four-page, illustrated section of information. This section dovetails nicely with the books content, offering clarification without resorting to page-by-page explanations.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)