A beautiful peek at the marine circle of life. Large spare text layered over simply rendered watercolors highlight the diversity of animal life found in the sea. “Big as a bus, and smaller than seeds,” the opposites found among ocean animals present themselves: single or multiple births, born live or oviparous, traveling to find food or waiting for food to come along. The use of familiar vocabulary and comparisons brings it all to the level of a young child. The last four pages offer a paragraph of information about each featured animal next to a thumbnail reproduced from the corresponding text. This format will provide adults with the knowledge needed to answer questions about the animals, but is not conducive to reading aloud. Nakata’s artwork perfectly fits the text: Soft colors and muted details have the reader seemingly looking through the water at the animals. A touching look at birth and perfect for reminiscing about the births of loved ones. (resource list) (Picture book. 3-7)
