Simon, Seymour. 1998. THEY SWIM THE SEAS:The Mystery ofAnimal Migration. by Elsa Warnick. New York: Harcout Brace & Company. ISBN 0-8172-5765-9
PLOT SUMMARY
Seymour Simon educates us about the migration mysteries of marine animals and marine plant life ranging from alga to the blue whales. The book includes numerous watercolor illustrations as well as an additional section where he includes more in depth information regarding marine migration.
ANALYSIS
Simon's many years in education are evident in the production of this book. He presents the material in a manner that reads beautifully. We are not merely reading fact, after fact, after boring fact. This is his description of a herring:
"Their silvery bodies glint in the sunlight and ripple the surface waters like a passing wind."
While there are no headings throughout the book to make the various animals presented, there is a sequence. Seymour moves from the smaller, beginning with alga , to the larger, the blue whale. Reading non-fiction may be like reading a list of boring facts, not so with this beauty. Simon's use of comparisons allows the reader to more concretely understand the matter presented. For example, his comparison of an Elephant seal to an automobile.
"Elephant seals are the largest of the seals; males can weigh more thantwenty-five thousand pounds and can reach a length of eighteen to twenty feet -as big as an automobile."
Compounded with excellent writing are the marvelous watercolor illustrations that provide accurate visuals for the reader. What makes this a fantastic non-fiction read is the genius of providing just information to where we feel that we have gained new insight, but nevertheless, discovering a new found thirst to learn even more! To help quench that thirst, Simon has included a section at the back of the book where he provides more in depth information about the animals he covered.
REVIEWS
"The whole is graced with a multitude of delicately sea-toned watercolors depicting everything from minute plankton to massive gray whales, and a wide range of creatures in between. Though there is much grist here for the determined report writer's mill, the lyrical text and sea-lit watercolors will best suit as recreational reading for nature lovers."-From School Library Journal
"A rougher fit with the picture-book format is the book's continuous narrative, without organizational headings and with additional information about each migrator appearing in a five-page addendum titled, 'More About Ocean Journeys.' Still, Simon and Warnick beautifully succeed in capturing the wonder of the migratory process." - From Kirkus Reviews
CONNECTIONS
A companion book, Ride the Wind: Airborne Journeys of Animals and Plants, also covers migration, but this time focuses on birds, locusts, the North American monarch butterfly and plants.While this book is non-fiction, it makes a great read-aloud. The watercolor illustrations are sure to produce many "ooooooohhs".
PLOT SUMMARY
Seymour Simon educates us about the migration mysteries of marine animals and marine plant life ranging from alga to the blue whales. The book includes numerous watercolor illustrations as well as an additional section where he includes more in depth information regarding marine migration.
ANALYSIS
Simon's many years in education are evident in the production of this book. He presents the material in a manner that reads beautifully. We are not merely reading fact, after fact, after boring fact. This is his description of a herring:
"Their silvery bodies glint in the sunlight and ripple the surface waters like a passing wind."
While there are no headings throughout the book to make the various animals presented, there is a sequence. Seymour moves from the smaller, beginning with alga , to the larger, the blue whale. Reading non-fiction may be like reading a list of boring facts, not so with this beauty. Simon's use of comparisons allows the reader to more concretely understand the matter presented. For example, his comparison of an Elephant seal to an automobile.
"Elephant seals are the largest of the seals; males can weigh more thantwenty-five thousand pounds and can reach a length of eighteen to twenty feet -as big as an automobile."
Compounded with excellent writing are the marvelous watercolor illustrations that provide accurate visuals for the reader. What makes this a fantastic non-fiction read is the genius of providing just information to where we feel that we have gained new insight, but nevertheless, discovering a new found thirst to learn even more! To help quench that thirst, Simon has included a section at the back of the book where he provides more in depth information about the animals he covered.
REVIEWS
"The whole is graced with a multitude of delicately sea-toned watercolors depicting everything from minute plankton to massive gray whales, and a wide range of creatures in between. Though there is much grist here for the determined report writer's mill, the lyrical text and sea-lit watercolors will best suit as recreational reading for nature lovers."-From School Library Journal
"A rougher fit with the picture-book format is the book's continuous narrative, without organizational headings and with additional information about each migrator appearing in a five-page addendum titled, 'More About Ocean Journeys.' Still, Simon and Warnick beautifully succeed in capturing the wonder of the migratory process." - From Kirkus Reviews
CONNECTIONS
A companion book, Ride the Wind: Airborne Journeys of Animals and Plants, also covers migration, but this time focuses on birds, locusts, the North American monarch butterfly and plants.While this book is non-fiction, it makes a great read-aloud. The watercolor illustrations are sure to produce many "ooooooohhs".
No comments:
Post a Comment