Coral Reef

Children's Literature - Janet Morgan Stoeke

Full of lovely stock photos and bits and pieces of good information, this book looks to teach and inspire. The problem is, they are far from perfect. There are several areas where the terms, seemingly in an effort to reach a young audience, are inaccurate and misleading. There are problematic references to the "air" in the water which the sea creatures "breathe." It is also plainly not true that seaweeds "can only grow where the water is shallow and there is plenty of light." (My husband knows just how deep plants can grow. His colleagues are in the Guinness Book of World Records for discovering the deepest growing seaweed-at more than 800 feet below sea level!) The bright, sharp imagery is tempting, and the children wouldn't know any better. But we should.

School Library Journal

Gr 3-4These books introduce habitats by describing their qualities and the life forms found there. Although there is not always a dynamic sense of linkage within the habitat or to other habitats that the series title suggests, the texts are straightforward and the full-color photographs are beautiful. How coral grows and forms a reef is summarized and a variety of coral-reef creatures are introduced. Some of the species found in a Pacific tide pool are described, along with the area within the habitat where they thrive; e.g., algae in the spray zone above the high tide line. Both entries include helpful pronunciation guides and two-page picture "quizzes" (with answer keys) of the habitat's plants and animals. Jenny Wood's Coral Reefs (Gareth Stevens, 1991) has diagrams that illustrate how coral reefs are formed and maps showing where they can grow. Christiane Gunzi's Tide Pool (DK, 1992) has lively and detailed photographs. Solid general introductions.Frances E. Millhouser, Chantilly Regional Library, VA