As we read disturbing news accounts of dying manatees, environmental disasters caused by toxic waste, and ocean pollution on the scale of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, it is more imperative than ever that we learn how to protect our miraculous blue planet. In honor of Earth Day, I highlight a beautiful book that's sure to engender respect and admiration for our ocean habitats, the creatures and plants who live in them, and the people who care for them.
Beneath the Waves: Celebrating the Ocean through Pictures, Poems, and Stories
By Stephanie Warren Drimmer
National Geographic, 20201
From bright sandy beaches to inky dark depths ... from sea stars to sea snakes to sea lions ... a wondrous world awaits Beneath the Waves
Beneath the Waves is a browser's dream. Its generous size and 192 pages are awash in enticing facts about all facets of life and our interaction with oceans. There are eleven chapters ranging from "On the Beach" to "People and Oceans," and including everything in-between—sea creatures, seashore creatures, habitats, geology, legends, scientific discoveries and more. As with all National Geographic Kids publications, the illustrations are beautiful and offer a real insider's view of habitats and creatures from penguins to tropical fish. And of course, there are the extreme facts that fascinate kids and adults alike,
"Polar bears have been known to swim more than 60 miles (100 km) without rest in search of food."
"One of the world's oldest shell collections was unearthed from the ruins of the ancient city of Pompeii."
"Jellyfish have lived in Earth's ocean for more than 500 million years."
Included are Contents, Index, Photo Credits, Scientific Names of Ocean Life, and an Afterword by renowned oceanographer, Sylvia Earle.
This will be a great addition for libraries, or, as mine will be, a gift for a budding young environmentalist.
My copy of Beneath the Waves was provided by Media Masters Publicity.
