LOOKING CLOSELY ALONG THE SHORE

Children are asked to stretch their imaginations and their knowledge of the natural world in this title and its companion, from the Looking Closely series. Beautiful up-close photography reflecting a wide diversity within each habitat is the cornerstone of the formula. “Look very closely. What do you see? Fish scales? Sea snakes? What could it be?” On the facing page a circular frame isolates a portion of a picture. The turn of a page reveals the entire photo, as well as a few simply worded descriptive paragraphs about the animal, plant or object pictured. The Shore features a sand dollar (skeleton), barnacle, crab and other seashore objects. Looking Closely Through the Forest (ISBN: 978-1-55453-212-4) includes a leaf, lily, toadstool and so forth. The format helps young children jump right in and participate, while Serafini’s creative suggestions of what each picture might be are sure to lead to giggles from young audiences, as well as providing fuel to the fires of their own imaginations. Perfect for large group sharing, this is also useful for active families who explore these habitats with their children. Happy hunting. (Picture book/nonfiction. 4-7)