Hello Ocean [Paperback]

Pam Munoz Ryan (Author), Mark Astrella (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2001 | Age Range: 4 and up

Spend a day at the beach, and take in the ocean through the senses of sight, hearing, feeling, taste, and smell in this lively romp through sand and waves. Glorious illustrations of water, sun, and sky accompany brief, evocative verses, making this a perfect keepsake of a seaside vacation or a striking introduction to the pleasures of a day by the ocean.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This rhyming picture book about the pleasures of a day at the beach gets off to a rocky start. "Hello, ocean,/ my old best friend./ I'm here,/ with the five of me, again!" read the opening lines, but only four figures appear on the page. It may take repeated readings for youngsters to understand that the "five of me" refers to the girl's five senses--despite the bold type for words like "hear" and "sounds" (though, curiously, in the first verse, "I see the ocean,/ gray, green, blue,..." the word "see" is not in bold). Ryan's (Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride; Esperanza Rising) descriptions of the seaside are strongest when she sticks to concrete examples of the child's experience: the look of "amber seaweed,/ speckled sand,/ bubbly waves that kiss the land" and the feel of "squishy,/ sandy,/ soggy ground,/ slippery seaweed that wraps around." Her metaphors, on the other hand, sometimes become abstract ("I hear the ocean,/ a lion's roar,/ crashing rumors/ toward the shore"). Astrella's (The Desert Alphabet Book) acrylics on airbrushed paper take on an almost photographic quality. His sun-washed shades vary in intensity from the subtly blended blues and greens of the surf to a range of beach-ball tones: the orange of a seagull's feet, the pinks and purples of a bathing suit and the fire-engine red of a picnic cooler. Ages 3-8.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Ages 4-7. This picture book, a splendid celebration of the ocean, is a stunning combination of scientific fact, poetry, and artistic talent. Photographic clarity, brilliant colors, and detail born of familiarity with the ocean characterize Astrella's acrylic paintings, which build on the rhythms and energy of Ryan's expressive rhymes. A young girl relates her experiences at the beach to her five senses. Through her perspective, the briny milieu will become real--even to children who have never paid a visit to the sea: "I see the ocean, gray, green blue, a chameleon always changing hue. . . . I hear the ocean, a lion's roar, crashing rumors toward the shore. . . . I touch the ocean and the surf gives chase, then wraps me in a wet embrace. . . . Sandy grains in a salty drink are best for fish and whales, I think." The girl's stay at the beach comes to an end on the book's final page. Other little ones are more fortunate. They can flip back to the beginning of the book and experience the beauty and mystery of the ocean all over again. Ellen Mandel
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Talewinds (February 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881069884
• ISBN-13: 978-0881069884
• Product Dimensions: 10.6 x 0.1 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,534 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #97 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Nature

More About the Author

PAM Muñoz Ryan is the author of more that thirty books for young readers, including four beloved novels, Riding Freedom, Esperanza Rising, Becoming Naomi León, and Paint the Wind, which collectively have garnered, among countless accolades, the Pura Belpré Medal, the Jane Addams Award, and the Schneider Family Award. She lives in Southern California with her family. You can visit her at www.PamMunozRyan.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully illustrated - makes a great gift. November 9, 2002

By Tanya Fox

Format:Hardcover

This is the book (among others) I always give away at 1 and 2 year old birthday parties. I also gave it to my 4.5 year old nephew (who is developmentally delayed - he does not speak) and it turned out to be his favorite among the ones I gave him. My 2 year memorized the words and used to ask for it every night before bed. The illustrations are so realistic and beautiful. The pictures look like painted photographs and capture the beauty of a day at the beach. It's like visiting the ocean every time you open it. Whenever I am at the bookstore, I take it off the shelf and leave it out on display so people can see it. That is how I found it.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hello Ocean June 10, 2001

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

This wonderful picture book of a day at the ocean is mesmerizing. Reminding me of my childhood with my family in New England...the illustrations captured the feeling with such emotion, they look identical to loving photographs. Any child reading this book or having it read to them, will be in awe of their day at the ocean...or at least imagining their day at the ocean..

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars HOW THE SEA SHOULD BE SEEN! May 10, 2007

By D. Blankenship HALL OF FAMETOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

This is a delightful book in so many ways. The sea, or ocean, as seen through the eyes, ears, nose, taste and feel of a little girl; a child, which is probably the best pay to view anything in nature, i.e. through a child's preception. Children see so much more than most adults. This is part of the wonder of this book, as it takes you back to the time when you were this little girl's age. The illustrations are wonderfully done (it is difficult to distinguish some of the art from actual photographs) and fits the text perfectly. There has been much research put into this book and there are an amazing amount of facts given in just a few pages. This is a great one to read to the class as it give plenty of opportunity on each page for discussion. It is also a great one for the children to just browse through; something I see all the time in class during thier free reading time. This is a book that should be in all school libraries, and indeed, your children's library at home. Highly recommend this one.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars My 32-month-old loves it January 17, 2004

By ~Z~

Format:Paperback

I received my copy when I purchased the Mother Goose preschool curriculum to homeschool my daughter. This book has quickly become her new favorite. She remembers the beach vacation we took in the summer and she particularly loves spotting the seagulls, having seen Finding Nemo recently. As the one who reads it to her every night, I like that it has few words on each page and gorgeous, realistic illustrations. It should definitely hold the beach-loving youngster's attention. I highly recommend it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars beautiful illustrations June 1, 2001

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

I picked up this book because of my love for the ocean and because the little girl on the cover resembled my granddaughter. It did take a few pages for me to realize that "the 5 of us" referred to the five senses, but other than that the story of the ocean is timeless and sweet. And yes, the little girl resembles my granddaughter, and maybe that's why I think the girl's facial expressions are so delightful and true-to-life. The artist, Mark Astrella, is very observant in a photographic sort of way and the reality of the pictures makes the book seem even more real.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful lesson in the five senses and ocean experience! June 7, 2001

By carollr

Format:Paperback

My two year old son LOVES this book! I bought this book for him while on vacation at the shore. I also purchased some shells, sand dollars and starfish at a gift shop. He loves the rhymes and the pictures. He enjoys putting his shells and other items on the pictures that match. A wonderful book! I highly recommend it!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Toddler Favorite! September 12, 2008

By Mom to Three

Format:Hardcover

My four year old son and my two year old daughter love this book. We have read this so many times with my daughter and she has looked at it by herself so much that the first two pages of our paperback copy have come out of the book. I am buying the hardcover edition to replace our paperback edition. My son loves the beautiful "pictures" because they remind him of our yearly trips to the beach in the summer. Young children love this book! The beautiful illustrations hold their attention and the rhythmic story has a calming effect on the most fidgety toddler. This is also our favorite book to read with the kids because it does take you right back to your favorite memories of the beach.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful illustrations and beautiful writing August 30, 2004

By S. Hughes VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book uses the five senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, smell) to wonderfullly describe the ocean. Not only is it beautifully written, but the illustrations are amazing - making you feel as if you're standing on the beach yourself. My 2 1/2 year old loves this book and asks me to read it to him over and over again. After borrowing this book from the library, we've decided to purchase our own copy.