A First Book of the Sea

by Nicola Davies, Emily Sutton (Illustrator)

Overview

In a remarkable collaboration, Nicola Davies and Emily Sutton celebrate the sea in all its changing moods — and the place it holds in our hearts and minds.

Ours is a blue planet. The oceans cover more than two-thirds of its surface and constantly calls to us to play, explore, and dream. Our fascination with the sea is as endless as our means of enjoying it — whether building sand castles, navigating by the stars, or observing strange and beautiful marine creatures. In a volume brimming with information, Nicola Davies and Emily Sutton capture the magic and majesty of the ocean with stunning words and pictures. Poems about manta rays, flying fish, and humpback whales mingle with verses about harbors, storms, and pearl divers. Glimpses of life in the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans flow into spreads about tropical islands, coral reefs, and ancient shipwrecks on the seabed. Teeming with colorful details, this treasure trove of knowledge will be pored over by adults and children alike, and its exploration of the vast mysteries of the sea will captivate readers for years to come.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763698829
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	09/25/2018
Pages:	104
Sales rank:	883,527
Product dimensions:	10.50(w) x 11.40(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Nicola Davies trained as a zoologist and has written many award-winning books for children, including Bat Loves the Night, Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes, The Promise, and I (Don’t) Like Snakes. She lives in Wales.

Emily Sutton is the illustrator of The Christmas Eve Tree by Delia Huddy and two other picture book collaborations with Nicole Davies: Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes and Many: The Diversity of Life on Earth. Emily Sutton lives in York, England.

Editorial Reviews

10/22/2018
Davies follows up Song of the Wild: A First Book of Animals with a collection of more than 50 sea-themed poems. The verses focus on familiar beach activities; “journeys,” from ship voyages to migrating whales; life under the sea; and “wonders,” such as tide pools and shoals. The poems vary in tone. A serious poem, “Deadliest of All?” calls out “the plastic we throw away/ that strangles, suffocates, and poisons”; in “Happiness,” meanwhile, a child is pictured gazing at a warm sunset over the bay: “Sand in my shoes./ Salt in my hair.” Sutton’s watercolor art offers sweeping, loose lines in cresting waves, sands, and skies, with sharper details in ship masts, sails, and delicate corals. A gentle compendium to read between sea visits. Ages 3–7. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

Sea life is depicted in an amazing variety of forms; humans are shown as diverse in skin tone, hair color, size, and age. As in the sea, there's something in this volume's abundance for most everyone, and it will amply reward repeat visitors, who will benefit from its largesse.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

This charming poetry collection takes readers on an exploration of the ocean, from a day at the beach to global migration stories...This nicely illustrated and enjoyable poetry collection is recommended for most libraries, especially where aquatic life is popular.
—School Library Journal

Sutton’s watercolor art offers sweeping, loose lines in cresting waves, sands, and skies, with sharper details in ship masts, sails, and delicate corals. A gentle compendium to read between sea visits.
—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

10/01/2018
PreS-Gr 3—This charming poetry collection takes readers on an exploration of the ocean, from a day at the beach to global migration stories. The various poem styles work well to reflect the many perspectives within the book. Sutton's colorful, intricate illustrations enhance an already enjoyable read by providing compelling visuals that represent each poem. The people depicted are diverse in age, race, and gender, and young readers will enjoy imagining themselves swimming in a pod of dolphins or singing a sea shanty. The extra-large foldout of a humpback whale, with instructions on how to sing a humpback's song, will entice kids and adults to try their hand at the calls. VERDICT This nicely illustrated and enjoyable poetry collection is recommended for most libraries, especially where aquatic life is popular.—Ellen Conlin, Naperville Public Library, IL

School Library Journal

★ 2018-07-30

Waves, tides, sands, oh my!

More than 50 poems, some rhyming and some providing punchy tidbits of information, make up this exuberant collection, which is divided into four themed sections: "Down by the Shore," "Journeys," "Under the Sea," and "Wonders." Each section includes a group of (mostly) short verses that illuminate the delightful experience of being in, under, or near the ocean. The poems shimmer with vivid imagery and sparkling language as they extol carefree activities such as swimming, beachcombing, surfing, building a sand castle, observing sundry aquatic creatures in and out of the water, sailing, and discovering the fun to be had on a pier. Additionally, there are poems about exploring, deriving sustenance and livelihood from the sea, and identifying ships and nautical knots. They're lovely as both read-alouds and pieces to memorize. The lively watercolors drive the poems, and many, together with accompanying poems, expand across two-page spreads. The charming artwork is awash in blue and other magical sea colors and teems with realistic details, movement, and life; note a jaw-dropping gatefold of a humpback whale with instructions on singing a humpback's "song." Sea life is depicted in an amazing variety of forms; humans are shown as diverse in skin tone, hair color, size, and age.

As in the sea, there's something in this volume's abundance for most everyone, and it will amply reward repeat visitors, who will benefit from its largesse. (Poetry. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews