by Bob Barner
RM25
From School Library Journal
A trip to an aquarium leads a young boy to
wonder, "If I were a fish-" and his imagination takes over. Barner's
clever use of perspective shows the bright orange clownfish (the boy's
alter ego) changing in size depending on which sea creatures are nearby.
Readers can follow it through its colorful underwater world on a coral
reef, swimming past dolphins, sea turtles, octopus, squid, jellyfish,
sea horses, shrimps, crabs, sea anemone, and starfish.
The rhythmic text
expresses the action. Double-page spreads can easily be viewed from a
distance. The clever, textured collage illustrations, made with
commercial and handmade papers, foil, beads, ribbon, antique buttons,
fabric, cork, and pastels, warrant a closer look. A diorama with a
numbered key identifies the creatures of the reef, and a spread that
includes brief facts about them and information about coral reefs is
appended. This engaging picture book with its simple text and bright
illustrations offers a creative introduction to the natural world of the
sea.
From Kirkus Reviews
A dazzling introduction to the creatures living in the increasingly threatened environment of a coral reef. "If I were a fish,'' thinks a child who watches an orange clownfish and imagines himself becoming the fish, taking readers through the author's bright collages of handcrafted papers, buttons, foils, fabric, beads, and ribbons. Oversized type undulates through the ocean, describing dolphins above, sea turtles gliding by, an octopus flanked by a squid squirting ink, sea horses, shrimps, crabs, and a cloud of jellyfish. All leap out of the pages in startling colors. Night finds the clownfish tucked into the tentacles of a sea anemone and making a ``fish wish'' to welcome the scuba-geared child of the opening to its environment.The symbiotic relationship of clownfish to sea anemone is explained in notes in the back, along with interesting facts about the rest of these saltwater creatures. Other back matter includes a diorama with a key to its inhabitants and just enough information about coral reefs to whet young appetites. A fresh and appealing look at a fascinating environment.
The children can learn many sea creatures through this wonderful picture books, such as sea turtle, squid, dolphin, trumpet fish, angelfish, grouper, moray eel, stingray, shrimps, barracuda, clownfish, sea horse, hermit crab, sea cucumber, giant blue clam, octopus, flounder and sea snake.
