Seymour Simon's Extreme Oceans

March 11, 2013
In a companion to Seymour Simon’s Earth Records, Simon looks into the enormous power of waves and storms, the diversity of ocean life, and how the health of the oceans affects the Earth. Underwater images depict extraordinary sea creatures, though the images are not labeled and are occasionally misleading (a discussion of the colossal squid is accompanied by an image of a diver with a much smaller jumbo squid). Simon’s intro­ductory guide touches just the tip of the iceberg, but it should spark readers’ interest in marine life. Ages 9–up.

March 15, 2013
A slapdash survey of oceanic science from the prolific veteran. Surfing over topics he's covered in his plethora of previous books, Simon offers general remarks about seas, waves, tides, storms, undersea mountains and volcanoes, sea life and climate change. As ever, the many big, clear nature photographs deliver delicious eye candy, but the author's long-standing aversion to captions sometimes can leave readers frustrated or puzzled: What, for instance, is that gelatinous blob next to the whale shark, and why is the discussion of Arctic sea ice illustrated with two photos of a receding glacier on land? His proofreading could have been done with more care too, as one cut-and-pasted picture's internal label includes an unexplained reference to "ASTER" (an Earth observation satellite), and his claim that the water temperature differential between El Nino and La Nina is "50 to 100F" is off by a factor of 10 or more (though the Celsius equivalent provided in parentheses is not). A weak alternative to the author's widely available single-subject titles. (index, no bibliography, downloadable teacher's guide requires sign-up) (Nonfiction. 10-13)

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May 1, 2013

Gr 4-6-Simon examines the things that are "most," pertaining to oceans: the tallest sea mounts, the largest waves, the highest tides in the world, the most dangerous and largest animals, the coldest and warmest waters, the biggest storms and tsunamis, and the longest journeys, as well as a closing chapter predicting scenarios if sea levels continue to rise. He strikes a good balance of text and vibrant color photographs that appear on almost every page to reveal a hidden world of action and beauty that will encourage children to investigate the physical characteristics, life-forms, and fragility of the world's oceans. Perhaps the most engaging chapter is the one in which readers are introduced to some of the biggest animals and are shown how they navigate, what they eat, and where they live. Photos are displayed next to boxes of concise text in addition to the descriptive narrative that makes up the majority of the book. For example, next to a full-page photo of an ocean wave, the text asks readers to "imagine being caught at sea in a small ship in the middle of a monster storm," which was the fate of the Andrea Gail in 1991. This book will appeal particularly to young scientists who are interested in nature and animals as well as to those who are pulled in by dangerous scenarios and esoteric facts. The book's strength lies in its ability to introduce these audiences to the vulnerability of oceans and marine ecologies as a result of climate change.-Anne Barreca, New York Public Library

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2013
Grades 3-5 More informative than most children's books with extreme in the title, Simon's latest book emphasizes superlatives and high-interest topics related to the world's oceans, while supplying the basic knowledge that gives the extremes a meaningful context. For instance, an explanation of what causes tides precedes a description of the world's highest tides, found in the Bay of Fundy. Fully illustrated four-page sections present a broad spectrum of subjects, such as the largest ocean animals, the longest marine migrations, conditions and creatures in the deepest waters, the El Nio and La Nia phenomena, storms at sea, tsunamis, and climate change. On the double-page spreads, about the same amount of space is devoted to information and illustration. Apart from an occasional note of a photo's locale, there are no captions even where they would be useful, but the photos generally work well to illustrate the text. Introducing oceans without presuming much prior knowledge, this is a solid addition to science collections.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2013
Simon presents an informative, wide-reaching overview of the earth's oceans, each chapter featuring a different aspect of ocean science, from storms, tides, and tsunamis to whales, turtle migrations, and coral reefs. Conservation in light of human interaction and climate change is also discussed. High-quality color photographs in attractive, functional layouts support the text. Ind.

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