THE OCEANS: A Treasury of the Sea World
By
Sunken treasure(y) is worth diving for, and young readers will be easily tempted to launch their way into this collection of some of the most imaginative descriptive essays about the sea, introduced by two very competent anthologists (Suspense, 1966, Merriment, 1965, etc.). Loosely organized around the headings ""The Sea,"" ""The Shore,"" ""Underwater,"" and ""Ships and Sailors,"" the selections offer a well-balanced variety. Rachel Carson is the most obvious choice, but a random catch can bring in such choices as Jack London's explanation of surfing, Lafcadio Hearn's evocative description of the progress of a hurricane, an investigation of the strange characteristics of the Ridley sea turtle, Cousteau's experience battling sharks, the document describing the 1824 mutiny of the Globe by its two survivors. Nineteen selections in all compose an attractive bouillabaisse on a favorite juvenile subject.