Desert Beneath the Sea [Paperback]

Ann McGovern (Author), Craig Phillips (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1991

Coral reefs are home to some of the world's most colorful and unusual plant and animal life. By comparison, the shallow, sandy bottom of the reef seems as bare and lifeless as a desert. But wait - a closer look reveals that this desert beneath the sea is actually filled with amazing and rare animals! Most of them are experts at hiding themselves in the sand or in the water so that they are nearly invisible.

Marine biologist Eugenie Clark, well known for her shark research, and underwater enthusiast, author Ann McGovern introduce young readers to jumping sand grains, long-nose sea moths, poisonous lionfish, garden eels, and many other mysterious creature that make the underwater world a fascinating place to learn about.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-4-- McGovern and Clark have banded together to produce an interesting array of windows on the creatures inhabiting the "desert" beneath the sea--open sand areas providing an exposed habitat at best. Readers meet such rare creatures as the horned sand octopus, the long-nosed sea moth, and the jawfish, as well as more populous beings, including garden eels, tilefish, and a symbiotic odd couple--the shrimp and the goby. The book also investigates the scientific procedures used by marine biologists, and explains how data accrued can be analyzed in the lab and integrated with previous knowledge to produce new and exciting configurations. It is heavily illustrated with Phillips's colorful watercolor-and-pencil drawings. While the book does not provide in-depth material, it does give insight into the scientific process, the place of serendipity in investigation, a look at some particularly fascinating marine creatures, and--most importantly--at a cooperative effort between two women in widely divergent professions, whose interest and skills have been blended seamlessly for readers' edification and inspiration. --Patricia Manning, Eastchester Public Library, NY
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

Author McGovern teams up with marine biologist Clark (``the shark lady'') to scuba dive in the Caribbean and record the strange, beautiful creatures that inhabit the shallow, sandy- bottomed ``desert beneath the sea.'' Despite the tedious ``You are there'' technique (``You look carefully at this desert beneath the sea. You see a small pointed pebble''), the resulting text is fairly exciting. Phillips's watercolor art is serviceable but doesn't capture the topic's grandeur--one longs for a photo of the eel garden (hundreds of eels swaying in the current, their tails anchored in a hole in the sandy floor), or of the strange new microscopic species nicknamed the ``jumping grains of sand.'' Still, a vivid first-hand account of a working scientist. Both common and scientific names of animals are given in a pronouncing index, but there are no size references. (Nonfiction. 8-12) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic; 1 edition (October 1991)
• ISBN-10: 0590426397
• ISBN-13: 978-0590426398
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 7.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,987,352 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ann McGovern is the author of over 55 books for children and sales of her books exceed 30 million. She is the author of the classics STONE SOUP and TOO MUCH NOISE, as well as several IF YOU LIVED... books.