TIDE POOL SECRETS

A lift-the-flap book explores tide pools.

The book opens with a double-page spread of tide pools that seem calm and empty, belying the secrets that teem beneath the surface. The first secrets to be revealed are sea anemones, which have their tentacles exposed on the outer flap and retracted underneath, while the text explains their behavior. The following spread depicts the eyes and claws of a hermit crab within a shell, and when the flap is opened, the crab has emerged. As pages turn to reveal subsequent flaps, the accompanying text follows the same pattern of explaining the behavior of the pictured creature or creatures, highlighting a decorator crab, a shrimp, a goby, a sea star, an octopus, a sea slug, and a turban sea snail. The concluding double gatefold offers a peek at each featured creature for readers to find. A glossary including pictures, names, and a fact about each creature rounds out this educational book. The print-and-watercolor illustrations do an excellent job of presenting details of tide-pool life to examine. However, the muted palette may not capture the attention of readers not already attuned to seeking out details.

A solid choice for those who live near or are interested in tide pools.