As a digital subscriber, you’ll receive unlimited access to Horn Book web exclusives and extensive archives, as well as access to our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database.
To access other site content, visit The Horn Book homepage.
To continue you need an active subscription to hbook.com.
Subscribe now to gain immediate access to everything hbook.com has to offer, as well as our highly searchable Guide/Reviews Database, which contains tens of thousands of short, critical reviews of books published in the United States for young people.
Thank you for registering. To have the latest stories delivered to your inbox, select as many free newsletters as you like below.
No thanks. Return to article
(4)
K-3
Amazing Animals series.
Vivid photographs providing up-close views of the daily lives and habits of rays are the highlight of this slim volume. Minimal text touches on habitat, appearance, food, and offspring, and supplies a folk-story answer to a question about the creature: "Why do rays' fins look like wings? People in India told a story about this..." Also available in Spanish. Reading list, websites. Ind.
(3)
K-3
Seedlings: Ocean Life series.
In spare, direct sentences, these series entries offer basic facts about marine fish, touching on their habitats, physical appearances, family relationships, diets, and behaviors. Large type, clear organization, and eye-catching color photos are geared to new nonfiction readers. A concluding spread features an anatomically labeled photo of the respective fish and a couple of close-ups of specific features. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Seedlings: Ocean Life titles: Stingrays and Clownfish.
(4)
4-6
Living Wild series.
Eye-catching close-up photographs enliven the volume's informative text. Appearance, habitat, diet, behavior, conservation efforts, and presence in human culture are all addressed in great detail, while sidebars provide additional information. Although lengthy chapters and the absence of a table of contents make quick reference difficult, thorough indexing helps mitigate this drawback. Bib., glos., ind.
(4)
K-3
Bumba Books: I See Ocean Animals series.
Examining one ocean fish family per volume, this early science series offers a brisk if overly broad introduction for young animal enthusiasts. Colorful layouts and close-up photographs enhance simple descriptions of each animal's appearance, behavior, life cycle, and habitat. Critical thinking questions scattered throughout provide the option for a more interactive reading experience. A basic anatomy chart is appended. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Bumba Books: I See Ocean Animals titles: Look, a Clown Fish!, Look, a Ray!, and Look, a Shark!
279 pp.
| Holt/Ottaviano
| October, 2008
|
TradeISBN 978-0-8050-8230-2$17.95
(2)
4-6
Twelve-year-old Milagros escapes an attack on her Caribbean island home. Miraculously, she arrives at an island off the coast of Maine. Woven into the story of her new life are concurrent chapters set aboard her father's pirate ship. Medina's use of magical realism keeps readers tantalizingly off-balance. Milagros is a survivor, and her strange, haunting tale will remain with readers.
Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
September, 2008
48 pp.
| Carolrhoda
| October, 2002
|
LibraryISBN 1-57505-172-9$$23.93
(3)
4-6
Carolrhoda Nature Watch series.
This book will be a useful addition to the reference section in the children's library. Rays are described in detail--from physical characteristics and life cycle to their relationship with humans--and the crisp, well-captioned color photos highlight the many varieties of this unusual fish. Information is presented clearly, and the writing is suitable for middle-grade readers. Glos., ind.
24 pp.
| Pebble
| March, 2001
|
LibraryISBN 0-7368-0858-2$$13.25
(4)
K-3
Ocean Life series.
Emerging readers will learn a few basic facts about rays and sharks in these brief, simplistic books. The texts use predictable sentence patterns and repetition ("Sharks have rough skin. Sharks have fins") to convey information. The accompanying stock photos match the text well. A list of Internet sites is included. Bib., glos., ind.