ALONG THE SEASHORE

A handsome and useful beginning guide in the Wild Wonders series, to the plants and animals of the Pacific Coast of North America. Cooper (In the Forest, 1996) introduces seals, gulls, crabs, killer whales, cormorants, raccoons, otters, osprey, dolphins, sea trout, jellyfish, and other dwellers of the shore, tidal pools, and ocean depths. The text is very brief, covering every subject in a couple of sentences, and some will object to mild anthropomorphisms, e.g., a mother seal nuzzles her pup ``as if to say `Wake up.' '' Finely detailed, softly colored pencil drawings appear on each page. A color key on some pages indicates whether the animal described is a bird, mammal, invertebrate, or fish, though readers must locate an explanation of that key in the last pages of the book. Throughout, Cooper invites readers to search back through the pages for details, inspiring careful reinspection of text and art. (Picture book/nonfiction. 5-10)