Coral Reefs

Children's Literature

The colorful and busy world of the coral reef has fascinated divers for centuries. Now young readers can experience that world and its inhabitants through this book. Part of the "Wild Marine Habitats" series, this slim title allows young readers a glimpse of coral reef residents, large and small, and how each plays its part in the reef's food web and life cycle. Corals are made up of living colonies of creatures called coral polyps with hard limestone exterior skeletons. It is when these creatures die that a reef is built up into an extraordinarily colorful habitat for other hard and soft corals, fish, tube worms, crustaceans, anemones, and even larger visitors: grouper, barracuda, sharks and sea turtles. The book's simply-written text explains to young readers how all these inhabitants interact in the warm, shallow waters of tropical oceans, whether these ocean locations are in the Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean or the Red Sea. It also tells how a coral reef can be destroyed, usually by humankind. Along with dramatic photographs, the book includes colorful illustrations diagramming the reef's food web and food chain. A glossary, bibliography—book and web site—and index are included. 2004, Blackbirch Press/Thompson Gale, Ages 8 to 12.
—Judy Crowder