Ocean Hide and Seek

The sea is a place of mystery, where animals big and small play hide and seek! Can you imagine a shark hiding in the light? What about a clownfish in plain sight? Don't believe it? Then, sink into the deep blue sea with Jennifer Evans Kramer and Ocean Hide and Seek! Surround yourself with the vibrant ocean illustrations of Gary R. Phillips. The ocean is an old, old place, and the exotic animals in the depths have learned to adapt to their surroundings to survive. Can you find the creatures hidden on every page? Or will you, too, be fooled by an ancient, underwater disguise?

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3

Short verses and deep-hued paintings introduce the ways in which sea animals use camouflage for protection. Each spread presents one animal and its form of protection. For example, one page shows a crab that hides by attaching bits of kelp to its shell. The second line of each four-line verse repeats the last words of the first line twice in a "Muffin-Man"-like sequence: "Floating there, before our eyes-/before our eyes, before our eyes." This gives a jarringly young feel to what is otherwise a serious informational book. The page quoted here ends with these graceful lines: "A seaweed curtain bares its prize,/a tiny dragon in disguise." The illustrations, most of creatures that live far beneath the sea, are, of necessity, quite dark and are best viewed by individual readers. The endnotes are more than supplemental; they are necessary, as they explain the methods of camouflage and the species features. Extensive online support includes a teacher's guide, which seems aimed at a third- through fifth-grade audience, and correlates with standards for specific states. Useful in collections where books on sea creatures or camouflage are needed.-Ellen Heath, Easton Area Public Library, Easton, PA