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UNDER THE SEA by Mike Goldsmith

UNDER THE SEA

From the I Explore series

by Mike Goldsmith ; illustrated by Kate Daubney

Pub Date: March 8th, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4549-1502-7
Publisher: Sterling

A busy board book presents sea creatures to identify.

This entry in the I Explore series suffers from a busy layout and oversimplified, sometimes-inaccurate illustrations. Labeled sea creatures, drawn as smiling caricatures, swim around children in diving gear and then a submarine, descending ever deeper. They see pilotfish, a seal, jellyfish, a coral reef, and more. Each double-page spread closes with the question “What's this?” above a partially depicted item. The answer is on the following page, but this puzzle feels quite arbitrary. The final page features a fold-out flap that opens to show the creatures again, arranged in relation to the ocean depth they occupy. The intended audience is unclear. There is too much information for board-book readers but not enough for older children, who would probably be put off by the babyish format. Companion title The Zoo, written by Emma Dods but also illustrated by Daubney, has similar liabilities, presenting a busy mix of information on cluttered pages.

Well-intentioned but confusing, these British imports should have stayed in England.

(Board book. 2-4)