Nature hide & seek

School Library Journal

Gr 1-4 This hide-and-seek introduction to ocean fish has five double-page spreads with side flaps that fold out to make a picture about 28 inches wide. Hidden in each picture are 7 to 11 types of fish, each identified on the following 2 pages with a picture, a short paragraph and a note telling how many of each were hidden. Because the bright colors of the fish are camouflaged, the pictures tend to be murky and unattractive. Size and proportion of the fish are confusing since no measurements are given and there are no familiar landmarks. The five scenes are: European waters; coral reef; Sargasso Sea; Australian waters and deep sea, which has no element of hiding because the setting is dark blue water. Although the hide-and-seek format appeals most to young children, the information and vocabulary here are geared towards older children. Third or fourth graders might enjoy it for browsing, but they would have to go elsewhere for substantial information. The fold-out pages would make it a short-lived item in a circulating collection. Kathleen Odean, San Rafael Public Library, Calif.