Desert Beneath the Sea

McGovern, Ann; Clark, Eugene; Phillips, Craig

ISBN 10: 0590426389 ISBN 13: 9780590426381

Publisher: Scholastic, 1991

Synopsis

Scientific findings, colorful illustrations, and scientific research introduce young readers to twenty-four fascinating underwater species

About this title

Reviews

Grade 3-4-- McGovern and Clark have banded together to produce an interesting array of windows on the creatures inhabiting the "desert" beneath the sea--open sand areas providing an exposed habitat at best. Readers meet such rare creatures as the horned sand octopus, the long-nosed sea moth, and the jawfish, as well as more populous beings, including garden eels, tilefish, and a symbiotic odd couple--the shrimp and the goby. The book also investigates the scientific procedures used by marine biologists, and explains how data accrued can be analyzed in the lab and integrated with previous knowledge to produce new and exciting configurations. It is heavily illustrated with Phillips's colorful watercolor-and-pencil drawings. While the book does not provide in-depth material, it does give insight into the scientific process, the place of serendipity in investigation, a look at some particularly fascinating marine creatures, and--most importantly--at a cooperative effort between two women in widely divergent professions, whose interest and skills have been blended seamlessly for readers' edification and inspiration. --Patricia Manning, Eastchester Public Library, NY
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Author McGovern teams up with marine biologist Clark (``the shark lady'') to scuba dive in the Caribbean and record the strange, beautiful creatures that inhabit the shallow, sandy- bottomed ``desert beneath the sea.'' Despite the tedious ``You are there'' technique (``You look carefully at this desert beneath the sea. You see a small pointed pebble''), the resulting text is fairly exciting. Phillips's watercolor art is serviceable but doesn't capture the topic's grandeur--one longs for a photo of the eel garden (hundreds of eels swaying in the current, their tails anchored in a hole in the sandy floor), or of the strange new microscopic species nicknamed the ``jumping grains of sand.'' Still, a vivid first-hand account of a working scientist. Both common and scientific names of animals are given in a pronouncing index, but there are no size references. (Nonfiction. 8-12) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Edition details

• Publisher: Scholastic
• Publication date: 1991
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0590426389
• ISBN 13: 9780590426381
• Binding: Library Binding
• Illustrator: Phillips Craig
• Number of pages: 48