Review by Booklist Review
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 feature such as an eye, fin, tentacle, or tail and 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.--Fletcher, Connie Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
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. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
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. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
