Ocean Animals from Head to Tail

June 6, 2016
In a companion to Dinosaurs from Head to Tail, Roderick constructs an engaging undersea guessing game, posing questions related to the anatomical features of eight aquatic animals (“What ocean animal has a mouth like this?”), followed by the answer and details about how each creature uses said attribute. A large “soccer ball–sized” eye belongs to a colossal squid, and a green sea turtle uses its “two front flippers... like paddles, powering the sea turtle forward.” Moriya’s digitally assembled illustrations resemble crisp cut-paper collages, blending subtly textured and brightly colored shapes to create inviting underwater landscapes. Eight additional animals, including a manatee and lionfish, get shout-outs in a closing spread. Ages 3–7.

June 1, 2016
A guessing game introduces curious ocean animals from hammerhead sharks to sea horses.Each animal is presented in a pair of double-page spreads. The first shows part of an animal's body and asks, "What ocean animal has a [body part] like this!" Clean, collage illustrations (created digitally with original photographs and textures) show an eye, mouth, fin, and so forth against a white background. The entire animal, set against a stylized version of its ocean habitat, appears on the second spread along with its name and a short informational paragraph. The relatively simple text nicely explains the purpose of the particular feature and, often, how it works. The animals chosen are iconic and memorable, including a colossal squid, blue whale, moray eel, sailfish, green sea turtle, and sea anemone. A final spread introduces eight more animals with interesting and unusual body parts. The information is accurate and up-to-date, but no sources are given. The collages are reminiscent of the work of Steve Jenkins but not as finely detailed. Large, round eyes attract attention, and the sea horse with its tail curled around a seaweed stem is particularly appealing. These pictures show well; this would be ideal to spark some interaction at storytime. For toddlers and preschoolers, an inviting opportunity to swim into the underwater world. (Informational picture book. 2-6)

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July 1, 2016

K-Gr 2-For all those looking to have fun while learning about various ocean animals, this upbeat work is sure to satisfy. The question-and-answer format allows for readers to engage with the story whether they are reading it alone, with an adult, or in a group setting. Each subject is given two spreads: the question spread (for example, "What ocean animal has a head like this?") is accompanied by a close-up illustration (for this example, the head of a hammerhead shark), with the next spread showing the reveal ("A hammerhead shark!") along with a paragraph explaining a bit about the particular creature and a full rendering of it in the ocean. Moriya created the images in Adobe Photoshop, using photos and textures that give the work an overall collagelike effect of bright and friendly-looking sea life. Only eight ocean animals are featured, but they are a good beginning. The last two pages introduce eight more awesome ocean animals-to get the curiosity going. VERDICT Enjoyable and interactive, this title is ideal for read-alouds, especially in the summer.-Valentine Muyumba, Indiana State University

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2016
Grades K-2 Fascinating facts abound in this Q&A-style introduction to marine life. Eight sea creatures receive close-ups here: a hammerhead shark, a colossal squid, a blue whale, a moray eel, a sailfish, a green sea turtle, a sea anemone, and a seahorse. These are all denizens of the deep that will appeal to young children due to their size or strangeness. The book showcases superlatives, making each animal memorable. For example, the colossal squid has eyes the size of soccer balls, the biggest of any animal; the blue whale is the largest creature ever known. Through double-page spreads, readers are presented with up-close views of a distinctive animal featuresuch as an eye, fin, tentacle, or tailand asked to guess to which creature it belongs. A turn of the page triumphantly reveals the answer, showing the animal in its entirety, along with its name in bold type and a small factual paragraph. The vibrant digital-collage illustrations give texture and brightness to this underwater world. An engaging and visually pleasing pick for animal-lovers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)