I didn't get to go to the ocean for spring break, so I'm taking a virtual, book-based trip in this post!
At the Boardwalk
by Kelly Ramsdell Fineman
illustrated by Monica Armino
Tiger Tales, 2012
review copy provided by the publisher
Our Kidlitosphere pal Kelly Fineman takes us on a day-long rhyming visit to the boardwalk. We start with a jog in the morning fog, we eat plenty of yummy treats, play lots of games, and ride lots of rides. Oh, to be a kid again!
Three by the Sea
by Mini Grey
Alfred A. Knopf, 2011
review copy provided by the publisher
Three friends are living happily by the sea until a (sly shyster of a) Stranger shows up and sows seeds of discord. The friends ride out the storm in their friendship, and when the Stranger leaves, they plant some of the real seeds he leaves behind. In spite of the problems the Stranger caused, some of the change he brought turns out to be for the best.
Water Sings Blue: Ocean Poems
by Kate Coombs
illustrated by Meilo So
Chronicle Books, 2012
I've never spent much time at the ocean, so without much experiential background, I wasn't sure I'd find a way into these poems. It was actually the gorgeous watercolor illustrations that drew me in, but the poems kept me there. Why bother with direct experience -- Kate Coombs teaches me about the ocean through her poems! And what a rich and varied collection this is! I'm not going to take it to school just yet. I'm going to keep Kate nearby as a mentor author. Not only will she be teaching me about the ocean, she'll teach me about writing poetry.
In the Sea
by David Elliott
illustrated by Holly Meade
Candlewick Press, 2012
I was thrilled to see that David Elliott and Holly Meade have another book in their IN/ON THE... series (On the Farm, In the Wild). This (my humble opinion) is the best of the three, both in poetry and illustration. David Elliott is another of my poetry mentors. He writes short, but ever so strong. I love this:
The Urchin
Spiny.
The Sardine
Tiny.
The Mackerel
Shiny.
The Shrimp
Briny.
