In the Ocean

School Library Journal

PreS-- Two colorful books that picture lively, brightly hued animals in vivid settings. The accompanying texts describe the active creatures; `` Cheetahs prowl'' and ``Seagulls swoop and screech.'' At the Zoo is laid out logically. Children arrive, watch the zookeeper scrub the elephant, and visit other animals. Finally, the chimpanzees wave ``as if to say good-bye.'' This is not true of In the Ocean , which is missing a much-needed point of view to provide order. It shows creatures on the shore, dolphins leaping above the waves, and then a diver exploring an ocean bed teeming with technicolor activity. Suddenly, a faraway harbor is pictured, with a ship ready to sail. Finally, another ship heads home. The books are laid out handsomely. All full-page pictures are on the right side, with the one-or-two sentence text and a smaller illustration on the left. Sometimes the broad flat areas of color, divided by jagged white lines, show pictures that will be clearly understood by preschoolers. At other times, colors are so close in tone that objects blend together. More objectionable, however, is the lack of agreement between text and illustration. ``Snow white polar bears'' are yellow. ``Yellow sand'' is bright orange. While there are attractive aspects to these books, such carelessness undercuts their usefulness. --Nancy Seiner, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh