I Sea: A Tale Told in Homonyms

A playful tale about homonyms and the power of perspective

Told through the repetition of two sounds, this delightful pirate adventure is also a clever lesson on homonyms: words that sound the same, or are spelled the same, but have different meanings.

A swashbuckling tabby and their crabby first mate are enjoying a day on the water when―“Eye! Sea!”―a wave crashes against their ship and something gets in the captain’s eye. The two companions visit the optometrist, where the cat reads out the letters I and C during an eye test. The eye doctor explains, “Eye. See?” and teaches the pirate how to put on an eyepatch. By the end of the book, readers will shout “I see!” as it’s revealed that the whole story was part of a child’s bathtub playtime.

This charming ode to language and imagination is illustrated in Ashley Barron’s iconic cut-paper collage artwork. Read aloud, it will spark conversation and exclamation as young kids discover the whimsy of word play.

Previously a senior editor of children’s books at HarperCollins, SUZANNE SUTHERLAND is the author of six books for young readers, from chapter books to YA. I, Sea is her first picture book. Suzanne lives with her husband and cat in Toronto, Ontario.

ASHLEY BARRON studied illustration at the Ontario College of Art & Design. She has since illustrated a number of books with Owlkids and Kids Can Press. Ashley shares a studio with her partner and three cats in Toronto, Ontario.