A Swim Through the Sea - Softcover

Pratt-Serafini, Kristin Joy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1883220041 ISBN 13: 9781883220044

Publisher: Dawn Publications, 2006

Synopsis

Praised by Jacques Cousteau, this book, illustrated and written by a16 year-old, is a classic introduction to the marine habitat. This 1994 alphabet and alliteration book continues to be a favorite of kids, parents, and teachers everywhere. It is truly an exceptional swim through an alphabet of sea creatures. Each page highlights a selected species with a full-color illustration and a paragraph of fascinating facts, surrounded by a frame full of extra creatures and vocabulary. It reaches a large age range because the large text is for young readers, while smaller text is for you or more advanced children. Kristin Joy Pratt (A Walk in the Rainforest) once again successfully inspires a generation of children about one of the most precious and fragile realms on Earth. A 48-page teachers guide (sold separately) is a valuable educator companion.

About this title

About the Author

Lauded as a young ``Eco Star" by the Cousteau Society, and inducted into the Kid Heroes Hall of Fame by E: The Environmental Magazine, Kristin Joy Pratt demonstrates not only an infectious love of nature that promotes environmental awareness among children, but also a ``can do" positive attitude toward life that has helped make her so popular. Kristin's best-selling first book, A Walk in the Rainforest, written in 1991 at age 14, began as an English homework assignment. More than 100,000 copies have been sold. At age 16, inspired by a marine biology class and her concern about contamination of the world's oceans, Kristin wrote and illustrated A Swim through the Sea. It was selected as an outstanding book by the National Science Teachers Association and the Children's Book Council, and already almost 90,000 copies of this book have been sold. In 1995, at age 18, Kristin turned the spotlight on the fragile ``invisible ocean" of air around us, and wrote and illustrated A Fly in the Sky. By now Kristin had become something of a children's heroine as a popular speaker at schools, museums and aquariums all over the U.S., and an inspiration for what even a young person can do given talent and the right attitude. Kristin was a complete unknown when she sent her first manuscript to Dawn Publications. But what she said caught the publisher's eye. ``Environmental awareness, at a very early age, is the key to preserving our world," she wrote. ``When young children gain a knowledge and respect for nature they in turn love and protect it. If this book takes one small step towards that end it will have served its purpose."

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3-An alphabetical introduction to various forms of ocean life, as seen through the eyes of Seamore the seahorse. The intended audience is unclear, as the tone of Seamore's encounters, narrated in a large type, indicate a preschool audience, while the descriptive paragraph for each entry uses vocabulary too complicated for the typical alphabet-book crowd. For each letter, a creature is spotlighted and framed by a colorful border featuring other organisms whose names begin with the same letter. Especially lively is the one for "D"-active dolphins leap and swim above and within a multi-shaded ocean across two pages, reminiscent of a Grecian frieze. The "phosphorescent flashlight fish" combines a clever usage of the "ph" and "f" sound, and shows the purple fish glowing green and yellow against a dark background of deep ocean. The double-page view of "rippling rays round a reef" has them radiating out from the center of the spread in a dramatic point of view. All of the flowing, fluid pictures are full of action and detail. Some of the same animals are included in Anne Doubilet's Under the Sea from A to Z (Crown, 1991), but without that title's brief, clear entries.
Frances E. Millhouser, Reston Regional Library, VA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Dawn Publications
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1883220041
• ISBN 13: 9781883220044
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 44