Sea Creatures

March 1, 2018
Grades 3-6 Veteran nonfiction author Simon delivers another exceptional photo-essay, this time highlighting sea creatures, from single-celled diatoms and tiny animal zooplankton to dolphins, sea turtles, and whales. Complemented by gorgeous photographs (several enlarged to see up-close details), the informational text begins with the seas' different zones and concentrates on the sunlight zone, where green plants and most of the seas' fishes, mammals, and turtles live. Simon focuses on the sea as a food web, as he looks at myriad food chains and describes how many sea creatures have advanced senses, such as sharks' ability to smell blood from great distances, in order to find prey?or avoid being caught by predators. He also illustrates through narrative and photos, the impact of adaptations like camouflage and symbiosis. The author touches upon the variety of marine environments, including giant clams in the South Pacific Ocean and spawning salmon in Northwest rivers, and concludes with fangtooth fish, vampire squid, and other strange life in the deepest seawater. A fascinating view of some of Earth's rarely seen creatures.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)