Ocean Animals from Head to Tail

by Stacey Roderick, Kwanchai Moriya

Overview

Dive in with these fascinating creatures of the sea! Can animals be identified by just one of their distinctive parts? Readers get the chance to find out in this guessing-game picture book. First, they are shown a body part and asked which ocean animal it belongs to. Then, the following spread reveals the whole animal, along with a description of its characteristics — particularly its one-of-a-kind body part — and habitat. From fins to flippers and tentacles to tails, there’s no better introduction to the awesomeness of ocean animals! With bold illustrations and playful fun for all, this book offers a unique look at ocean animals, one body part at a time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781771387569
Publisher:	Kids Can Press
Publication date:	09/06/2016
Series:	Head to Tail , #2
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	15 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Stacey Roderick is a children's book editor and writer. She is the author of Dinosaurs from Head to Tail and the co-author of Centsibility: The Planet Girl Guide to Money. She lives with her family in Toronto, Ontario.

Kwanchai Moriya is an illustrator and painter. He was born in New York and grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. He completed his education with a degree in History from the University of California and a degree in Illustration from the Art Center College of Design. Kwanchai lives and works in Los Angeles, California.

Editorial Reviews

06/06/2016
In a companion to Dinosaurs from Head to Tail, Roderick constructs an engaging undersea guessing game, posing questions related to the anatomical features of eight aquatic animals (“What ocean animal has a mouth like this?”), followed by the answer and details about how each creature uses said attribute. A large “soccer ball–sized” eye belongs to a colossal squid, and a green sea turtle uses its “two front flippers... like paddles, powering the sea turtle forward.” Moriya’s digitally assembled illustrations resemble crisp cut-paper collages, blending subtly textured and brightly colored shapes to create inviting underwater landscapes. Eight additional animals, including a manatee and lionfish, get shout-outs in a closing spread. Ages 3–7. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

07/01/2016
K-Gr 2—For all those looking to have fun while learning about various ocean animals, this upbeat work is sure to satisfy. The question-and-answer format allows for readers to engage with the story whether they are reading it alone, with an adult, or in a group setting. Each subject is given two spreads: the question spread (for example, "What ocean animal has a head like this?") is accompanied by a close-up illustration (for this example, the head of a hammerhead shark), with the next spread showing the reveal ("A hammerhead shark!") along with a paragraph explaining a bit about the particular creature and a full rendering of it in the ocean. Moriya created the images in Adobe Photoshop, using photos and textures that give the work an overall collagelike effect of bright and friendly-looking sea life. Only eight ocean animals are featured, but they are a good beginning. The last two pages introduce eight more awesome ocean animals—to get the curiosity going. VERDICT Enjoyable and interactive, this title is ideal for read-alouds, especially in the summer.—Valentine Muyumba, Indiana State University

School Library Journal

2016-05-18
A guessing game introduces curious ocean animals from hammerhead sharks to sea horses.Each animal is presented in a pair of double-page spreads. The first shows part of an animal's body and asks, "What ocean animal has a [body part] like this!" Clean, collage illustrations (created digitally with original photographs and textures) show an eye, mouth, fin, and so forth against a white background. The entire animal, set against a stylized version of its ocean habitat, appears on the second spread along with its name and a short informational paragraph. The relatively simple text nicely explains the purpose of the particular feature and, often, how it works. The animals chosen are iconic and memorable, including a colossal squid, blue whale, moray eel, sailfish, green sea turtle, and sea anemone. A final spread introduces eight more animals with interesting and unusual body parts. The information is accurate and up-to-date, but no sources are given. The collages are reminiscent of the work of Steve Jenkins but not as finely detailed. Large, round eyes attract attention, and the sea horse with its tail curled around a seaweed stem is particularly appealing. These pictures show well; this would be ideal to spark some interaction at storytime. For toddlers and preschoolers, an inviting opportunity to swim into the underwater world. (Informational picture book. 2-6)

Kirkus Reviews