The New Ocean: The Fate of Life in a Changing Sea - Hardcover

Barnard, Bryn

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0375870490 ISBN 13: 9780375870491

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2017

Synopsis

A fascinating look at the future of our oceans—and how human actions may change them.
 
The Earth—our home—is covered mostly with water: the wide, deep, salty, and very blue ocean. It regulates our climate in a way that makes life as we know it possible. This huge ocean is full of an amazing amount of life, most of which is too small to see.
 
But life in the ocean is in trouble. The ocean is becoming hotter, more polluted, and, in places, empty of life. The right amount of warming is good for us, but too much warming is causing shifts that are not good for life in the ocean. Global warming, pollution, and overfishing are creating a New Ocean, in which life is changing drastically.
 
This book tells the stories of the probable fates of six sea dwellers: jellyfish, orcas, sea turtles, tuna, corals, and blue-green algae. What becomes of them may help you understand what becomes of us.
 
Praise for Bryn Barnard’s Outbreak! and Dangerous Planet:
 
"An absorbing narrative that includes touches of humor. . . . Teachers will find many uses for this, but the book is so engaging it will also attract browsers—and hold them.” —Booklist, Starred
 
“An engrossing introduction for young adult readers to the chillingly topical subject of man vs. microbe.” —The Wall Street Journal

About this title

About the Author

BRYN BARNARD is an author and illustrator whose previous books include The Genius of Islam; Outbreak! Plagues that Changed History; and Dangerous Planet: Natural Disasters that Changed History. Growing up in Laguna Beach, he’d bodysurfed and snorkeled for years. But as he was working on this book, he wanted to get under the ocean to see, with his own eyes, what he was writing about and painting—so he learned to scuba, which allowed him to experience the beauty and power of the ocean in a new way. Find him online at brynbarnard.com and @brynbarnard.

From School Library Journal

Gr 4–6—An engaging presentation from Barnard, who reveals the devastating effects of ocean warming, carbon dioxide absorption, pollution, and overfishing on the earth's waters and the resulting decline of many aquatic species. The author focuses on six different creatures (jellyfish, killer whales, sea turtles, tuna, corals, and blue-green algae) to first paint a picture of the incredible diversity of the oceans and then impress upon readers how humans are disrupting this fragile ecosystem (plastic bags eaten by turtles, coral bleaching). The large illustrations, done in oil on canvas, are rich with deep blues and are often mesmerizing. While the picture book format may signal a younger audience, the text is quite advanced. An opening map, "An Ocean of Plastic," identifies currents and garbage patches, and a closing map, "Hot, Acidic, and Bleached," tracks levels of coral bleaching worldwide—both are fascinating. VERDICT An impassioned call to protect Earth's oceans, sure to stimulate conversations. Consider for large STEM collections.—Nancy Call, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, Aptos, CA

About this edition

• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0375870490
• ISBN 13: 9780375870491
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 40