Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish in the Sea [Hardcover]

Chris Butterworth (Author), John Lawrence (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 11, 2006 | Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Discover the secrets of the endangered sea horse - one of nature's most mysterious fish - through Chris Butterworth's clear, engaging text and the intricate engravings of award-winning illustrator John Lawrence.

Dive into the warm ocean and swim around amid the coral and waving sea grass. Do you see an eye like a small black bead peering out at you? Linger for a while and discover the secrets of the sea horse - one of the shyest fish in the sea. With a head like a horse, a tail like a monkey, and a pouch like a kangaroo, the sea horse acts like a chameleon, changing color to ward off danger or to show that he and his mate are a lifelong pair. Watch their fascinating mating dance, as the two of them twine their tails together and twirl, before she places her eggs in his pouch to be born. Could there be a more intriguing creature of the sea?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. PreSchool-Grade 3–In addition to learning about sea horses, children will be enticed by the fabulous ocean depths captured in Lawrence's prints. The artist used wood textures to create watery backgrounds for the vinyl engravings of sea plants and animals. Watercolor washes in muted tones of green, blue, and red complete the look. Text that occasionally follows the wavy pattern of an ocean current provides brief but specific descriptions of the small creatures. Additional captions provide tactile depictions: …he has tiny prickles down his back, like a dragon. The narrative focuses on the Barbour's breed with a dozen other types of sea horses illustrated on the endpapers. Facts such as how they move, reproduce, and eat are revealed with concrete details such as [Each] new sea horse is only as long as your eyelash. Images illustrate such concepts as camouflage and the creatures' prehensile tail. Thoroughly engaging, this is a brilliant marriage of art and science.–Janet S. Thompson, Chicago Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* K-Gr. 2. In stunning pictures and engaging words, this nonfiction picture book explains the facts behind the unusual life cycle alluded to in Eric Carle's Mister Seahorse (2000). Pairing a central narrative about a male Barbour's sea horse with facts in smaller type, Butterworth first pinpoints the creatures' most immediately appealing attributes ("a head like a horse, a tail like a monkey"), then goes on to discuss the males' gestational role in reproduction and survival tactics of newly independent offspring. Though some statements may require adult elaboration, as when embryos are referred to as the "dots in the eggs," Butterworth has a flair for dynamic writing; children will listen with interest to the dramatic culmination of Sea Horse's birthing efforts, when babies "swirl around him in the water like smoke." Working in the same style that distinguished his artwork in Martin Waddell's Tiny's Big Adventure (2004), Lawrence has created vinyl engravings that masterfully capture the delicate textures of sea horses' graceful, spiny bodies and of their undersea habitats. Capped by useful endnotes, this is an accomplished entree to early science topics. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick (April 11, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763629898
• ISBN-13: 978-0763629892
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 0.2 x 7.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #644,785 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A beautiful natural history for young readers, October 16, 2006

By 

Philip E. Nast - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish in the Sea (Hardcover)

This natural history traces the life cycle of a Barbour's Sea Horse. The facts are presented clearly and are supported by outstanding illustrations. The author has also provided an index and encourages young readers to use it -- not common in a picture book aimed at young readers.

5.0 out of 5 stars Sea Horse: The Shyest fish in the Sea., December 14, 2011

By 

Psych36 - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish in the Sea (Hardcover)

I ordered this book for a friend who collects children's books.

It is a delightful book, informative, written with real passion for the topic and beautifully illustrated.

A real gem.

5 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Text and drawings not appropriate, October 14, 2006

By 

J. Fitz (Pennsylvania,USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish in the Sea (Hardcover)

This book provides more details about the reproduction of the sea horse than I think are appropriate for the age level of the book. If those pages were not included the book would have been a beautiful addition to my library.