Hello, Fish!: Visiting The Coral Reef [Hardcover]

Sylvia Earle (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Famed oceanographer Dr. Sylvia A. Earle, who is called "Her Deepness" by the New York Times, shares her love of the sea in these factual, fun-filled observations of fish. Enchanting gobies pop out at the camera, jewel-like damselfish glimmer, a spotted stingray glides through the deep. Children will delight in greeting each fish as it's introduced. Large, close-up photographs by Wolcott Henry show each fish in its underwater home, and a map of the world's coral reefs is also included.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 4-Vivid, full-color photographs and brief text introduce 12 fish that occupy the waters around coral reefs. On each double-page spread, a framed block of text names the featured animal, provides a whimsical introductory statement (e.g., "Graceful, gentle creatures, rays glide/Through the sea like giant butterflies"), and describes its appearance or behavior in a few sentences. Illustrations of lovely, shadowy fish swimming against creamy, yellow pages form backdrops for the narrative, drawing the eye in an attractive counterpoint to the dramatic photos. A short introduction describes coral reefs and includes a map indicating their locations. Henry's stunning photography magnifies some of the fish, belying the actual small size of the gobies and damselfish. Though the information is minimal, Earle injects a bit of her personal experience as a diver and scientist: "When provoked, damselfish will chase away creatures many times their size-even me!" Bold and beautiful, this selective but inviting view of reef animals is a simpler introduction to coral reefs than Norbert Wu's more informative and also striking A City under the Sea (Atheneum, 1996) or Laurence Pringle's Coral Reefs (S & S, 1995).
Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Earle (Dive!, p. 64) again transports readers to the ocean's depths, this time to introduce the weird and beautiful inhabitants of the coral reef. A dozen fish receive star treatment, with brief, exuberant paragraphs of text and dramatic full-color photographs. Almost every page is suitable for display, showing off the spotted moray eel, brown goby, stargazer fish, spotted sting ray, clownfish, shark, and others. The author has a unique perspective on the fish, e.g., ``I often stop and play with morays. I've even hugged a few! . . . In fact, these gentle and curious fish remind me of kittens.'' That statement, next to a picture of the gaping jaws of a sharp-toothed, freckled fish, is bound to have an impact on readers. Earle does not provide specific, detailed information on the fish, apparently content to hook browsers, and to inspire them to further research. Even those who have never ventured under the sea will appreciate this enthusiastic guide. (Picture book. 7-12) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books (March 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0792271033
• ISBN-13: 978-0792271031
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 0.4 x 11.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,489,107 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous book for kids of all ages!, May 8, 1999

By 

Stephen Colwell, Executive Director, the Cora... (Berkeley, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hello, Fish!: Visiting The Coral Reef (Hardcover)

The splendid underwater photos in this book bring kids face to face with a variety of coral reef fish including comical clown fish, valiant damselfish and shy gobies. Even little kids love it. Our 17 month-old made me read it five times yesterday! For older kids, the simple but rich text gives a sense of each fish's personality. Highly recommended - Sylvia Earle and Wolcott Henry have masterfully crafted a book that educates while entertaining and engaging the imagination of readers of all ages.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not amazed, June 26, 2008

By 

A. C. Wyld (Guatemala, C.A.) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hello, Fish!: Visiting The Coral Reef (Hardcover)

My 18-month daughter is currently thrilled with fish, so I've been searching for fish picture books. This one did not really thrill me as the photo quality is not optimal and it has more pictures of coral and other reef creatures than fish. Maybe it will be more interesting in a couple of years for her.