Ocean Sunlight: How Tiny Plants Feed the Seas [Hardcover]

Molly Bang (Author), Penny Chisholm (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2012 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years | Lexile Measure: 770L (What's this?)

Acclaimed Caldecott artist Molly Bang paints a stunning, sweeping view of our ever-changing oceans.

In this timely book, award-winner Molly Bang uses her signature poetic language and dazzling illustrations to introduce the oceanic world. From tiny aquatic plants to the biggest whale or fish, Bang presents a moving, living picture of the miraculous balance sustaining each life cycle and food chain deep within our wondrous oceans.

On land or in the deep blue sea, we are all connected--and we are all a part of a grand living landscape. Co-authored by award-winning M.I.T. professor Penny Chisholm, a leading expert on ocean science, OCEAN SUNLIGHT is packed with clear, simple science. This informative, joyous book will help children understand and celebrate the astonishing role our oceans play in human life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for LIVING SUNLIGHT: HOW PLANTS BRING THE EARTH TO LIFE:
* "If a good picture book does what it sets out to do, a great one sets out to do something huge and succeeds. . . . An outstanding book to read and absorb."--BOOKLIST, starred review
- "Chisholm, a professor of ecology, expands on the theme [photosynthesis], while the intense greens of Bang's gouaches bring it vibrantly to life."--THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
- "LIVING SUNLIGHT is less a tutorial on photosynthesis than a magnificent celebration of life."--NATURAL HISTORY

Praise for MY LIGHT:
* "A lovely and illuminating book that presents sound science while expressing the wonder of flipping a switch and flooding a room with light."--BOOKLIST, starred review
- "Bang's imagery and word choice provide a vivid text for her readers. And then there are the illustrations: phenomenal only begins to explain Bang's choices in her use of color and composition. . . . This is a picture book that should be found in all libraries."--CHILDREN'S LITERATURE

About the Author

Molly Bang has written and illustrated more than twenty books for young readers, including WHEN SOPHIE GETS ANGRY--REALLY, REALLY ANGRY...; TEN, NINE, EIGHT; and THE GREY LADY AND THE STRAWBERRY SNATCHER, each of which were Caldecott Honor books. Bang divides her time between Falmouth, Massachusetts, and Norther California.

Penny Chisholm is a professor at MIT where she has been teaching Ecology for over thirty years. She and her students do research on phytoplankton—tiny plants that feed all life in the oceans. Her research was most recently awarded the Agassiz Medal of the National Academy of Sciences.

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: The Blue Sky Press (May 1, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0545273226
• ISBN-13: 978-0545273220
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 9.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #157,903 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #69 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Nature > Water
  • #92 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Earth Sciences

More About the Author

Molly Bang is an award winning children's book illustrator and author. Her
works include 3 Caldecott Honor Books: Ten, Nine, Eight, The Grey Lady and the
Strawberry Snatcher, and When Sophie Gets Angry - Really, Really Angry, which
also won a Jane Addams Honor Award and the Arbuthnot Award. The Paper Crane
won the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award in 1987; Goose won the School of Library
Journal Best Book of 1996 and another work, Common Ground: The Water, Earth,
and Air We Share, won the prestigious Giverny Book Award in 1998 for the best
children's science picture book. Her latest book, My Light, is an ALA Notable
book.

Her only work for adults is Picture This, which shows how an understanding of
the most basic principles enable a person to build powerful pictures. It is
used by art and graphic departments in colleges around the country.

Bang received her bachelor degree from Wellesley in French, and Masters in
Far Eastern Studies at the University of Arizona and at Harvard. She has also
worked as a reporter; as an educator for public health projects in Bangladesh
and in Mali, West Africa, incorporating information on maternal and child
health into stories; and as a teacher in colleges.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible illustrations, brilliant educational book May 10, 2012

By Naomi

Format:Hardcover

My family (3yrs to adult) loves this book! Through gorgeous, detailed illustrations, we learned so much about phytoplankton, the food chain, and ocean life. Another amazing book by Molly Bang!

5.0 out of 5 stars An important children's book May 6, 2013

By Marlene Martin

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This contains complex information about ocean eco systems in a format that is understandable and attractive to children. The illustrations are marvelous.

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible book April 2, 2013

By Debra VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I love the illustrations in the book and how it presents a complicated topic in a way that is accessible to children. Specifically it does a beautiful job of explaining how the oceans are vital to land life. I had no idea that 50% of our oxygen comes from phytoplankton, for example. It does a beautiful job of explaining the ocean food chain in a really poetic but scientifically accurate way. We checked it out from the library and I ended up buying it, which I almost never do. It was interesting enough that my kids want to read it repeatedly, just like any fiction storybook.