Friday, July 15, 2022

Beach Month ~ Let's Check Out a Tide Pool!

July is Going To The Beach month – so that’s what I’m doing. All month long I’ll share new books that focus on the ocean. If you don’t have a beach nearby, fill a bin with sand for your feet, set up a beach chair and umbrella, grab some lemonade, and enjoy the books and activities.

The Tide Pool Waits 
by Candace Fleming; illus. by Amy Hevron 
40 pages; ages 4-8
‎Neal Porter Books/ Holiday House, 2022

theme: summer, ocean, nature

The waves … CR-A-A-A-A-SH in.
 And then … cr-e-e-e-e-p out. 
Swish, gurgle, trickle, drip-drip-drip.

The tide pool is waiting. Beneath the hot sun, at the pool’s bottom, creatures are waiting. What are they waiting for?

High tide! That is when the pool becomes part of the sea again – when anemones open and crabs explore. When sea cucumbers and fish get out and about. But… the sea can’t resist the pull of the moon, and too soon the tide creeps out.

What I love about this book: I love how the book starts before the tidal page (yep, that was intentional!) – and how we, along with the tide pool creatures, wait. And wait. And wait for the return of the cool ocean water. I love the language Candace Fleming uses to entice us into the tide pool, and the way Amy Hevron uses colors to fill the tide pool with life.

And I love the back matter where we get to meet the barnacles and mussels, crabs and anemones, periwinkles, snails, limpets and so, so many other wonderful creatures. There’s a section for kids who want to explore tide pools (even if they live far from the ocean), and a handy guide to where the creatures live along the tide zone.

from Rye Nature Center
Beyond the Books:

Check out these tide pool-related books: The Crab Alphabet Book, and Tide Pool (an early reader).

Visit a tide pool. If you don’t live near the ocean, you might find a tidepool tank at a science center or museum. You can also get to know tide pool creatures through videos at Life in a Tide Pool.

Choose a tide pool animal and learn more about it. If you were that animal, how would you move? Eat? Sleep? 

Make a mini-tide pool to see what happens when the water level changes. Here’s how to do this experiment.

We’ll join Perfect Picture Book Friday once they resume. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review galley provided by the publisher.


2 comments:

  1. I love Candace Fleming's writing. This looks alike a fun, informative book. I will check it out. Thanks for the post.

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  2. We were just talking about this one in a class I'm taking with Heather Montgomery. It's on my TBR list. Candace Fleming is a master.

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