Parrotfish and Sunken Ships: Exploring a Tropical Reef - Hardcover

Arnosky, Jim

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0688171230 ISBN 13: 9780688171230

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2007

Synopsis

Are you ready to discover the treasures to be found in a coral reef?

Jim Arnosky is an excellent guide. He bases his uniquely informative narrative on explorations he and his wife, Deanna, made near the Florida Keys in waters once sailed by pirates. Talking directly to his readers, Jim Arnosky melds art and text to create an original, engrossing nonfiction picture book.

If you've ever wondered about life underwater, this is a book you'll enjoy.

About this title

About the Author

Acclaimed for his picture books that speak directly to young naturalists, Jim Arnosky enjoys researching different ecological areas with his wife, Deanna. His many awards and honors include the Washington Post—Children's Book Guild Award for overall contribution to nonfiction for children and the Eva L. Gordon Award for outstanding children's science literature. He has also written and illustrated numerous ALA Notable Books and Outstanding Science Books. Home base for the Arnoskys is a two-hundred-year-old farmhouse in northern Vermont. Their daughters and their families live nearby.

Reviews

Kindergarten-Grade 3—Arnosky once again brings young readers into his wonderful world of nature. This time he uses his trademark colorful paintings of wildlife to explore the only living coral reef in the United States. Located in the Florida Keys, this area was once sailed by pirates and is now inhabited by several different types of coral and fish, as well as many ancient shipwrecks. Arnosky describes his experience exploring the reef aboard his boat, Crayfish, with his wife. Wonderfully realistic paintings depict his observations and are accompanied by a clear text that successfully draws readers into an underwater world teaming with life. Close-up sketches provide supporting facts and interesting details that supplement the narrative. As in Watching Water Birds (National Geographic, 1997) and Otters under Water (Putnam, 1999), the author continues to make nature exciting and accessible to young readers. His descriptive language and detailed, attractive paintings also make this book an excellent read-aloud. The author's knowledge and enthusiasm for his subject will inspire appreciation in all who are guided on this amazing journey.—Carole Phillips, Greenacres Elementary School, Scarsdale, NY
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With stunning watercolors and a brief, easy-to-follow text, Arnosky chronicles a boat trip he took with his wife through the coral reefs off the Florida Keys. Watercolors and a few pencil sketches fill the pages and surround the text, beautifully portraying eight types of coral and more than 75 varieties of fish the couple saw as they wandered through the reef, wading, snorkeling, and drifting in their boat. The idea that treasure may be found near sunken ships is, perhaps, played up more than necessary, and there's not enough information here to satisfy the truly curious. Yet the facts presented will spark interest in the subject, and given the lovely illustrations, this is definitely a jewel among Arnosky's works. Children who like to browse through books on particular environments will be well rewarded. Enos, Randall

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2007
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0688171230
• ISBN 13: 9780688171230
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Arnosky Jim
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32