A Sea within a Sea: Secrets of the Sargasso [Hardcover]

Ruth Heller (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 4, 2000 | Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

The Sargasso Sea is a natural mystery. It is a warm "sea within a sea" in the midst of the cold Northern Atlantic Ocean where whirlpool-like currents have been said to becalm ships forever. Underneath huge tangles of seaweed are men-o-war, jellyfish, turtles, fish, and eels. Each spread in this book elaborately describes and depicts a characteristic of this complex and exciting watery habitat. Ruth Heller's rhythmic text and eye-popping illustrations go hand-in-hand in this 32-page hardcover book to explain the myths and secrets surrounding the mysterious Sargasso Sea.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 3-5-"Portugese explorers named this sea `The Sea of Grapes' when they saw the fields of seaweed full of golden global shapes." These globes and leaves of seaweed fill several blue expanses in this poetic introduction to the Sargasso Sea, best known to children for that segment of it called the Bermuda Triangle. Heller's rhythmic, rhyming commentary on the history, geography, and animals of this "sea within an ocean" emphasizes scary aspects. Sea creatures show their terrible teeth and swallow ships and humans in the more dramatic views. Double-page spreads feature gold or tan fierce fish that blend with the seaweed and others of the black inky ocean bottom with fish outlined in white and shaded in rusty pastels. From fanciful views of brightly colored sailing vessels to a final cartoon view of a gentleman savoring a plate of eels, this is a quick pass over sunken ships, repeated masses of seaweed, and monstrous and more benign animals. There's only the barest reference to the mysterious disappearance of ships and planes, and no concluding notes are offered to expand the minimal information. Broadly sketched maps on the first and last pages show the location of the Sargasso Sea and the Bermuda Triangle. A few references will be vague for children, but some readers will enjoy the innuendoes of monsters and mystery.-Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap (December 4, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0448424177
• ISBN-13: 978-0448424170
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,151,040 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

"Writing and illustrating my own books have given me the opportunity to choose subjects of interest to me."--Ruth HellerAfter receiving a fine arts degree from the University of California at Berkeley and completing two years of graduate work in design at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, Ruth Heller began her career designing wrapping paper, cocktail napkins, greeting cards, and coloring books. After five years of rejection and one complete revision, Heller's first book, Chickens Aren't the Only Ones, about egg-laying animals, was published in 1981. It was so successful that the sequel, and second book to be published, Animals Born Alive And Well (1982), about mammals, quickly followed. In 1983 and 1984, her third and fourth titles, The Reason For A Flower (about plants that have seeds and flowers) and Plants That Never Ever Bloom (about plants that do not) were published.She then began work on a collection of six books, the How To Hide series on camouflage and the magic of this phenomenon in nature, which covered the entire animal kingdom -- insects, birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, and sea creatures. The next collection of books became a five-volume series on parts of speech: A Cache of Jewels and Other Collective Nouns; Kites Sail High: A Book About Verbs; Many Luscious Lollipops: A Book About Adjectives; Merry-Go- Round: A Book About Nouns; and Up, Up and Away: A Book About Adverbs. She also wrote and illustrated the unique and fascinating book Color, a charming and instructive guide to how art goes through the four color printing process.Among the notable people who have had an influence on Heller's writing have been: Ogden Nash, Gilbert and Sullivan, Edward Lear, Hilaire Belloc, and Dr. Seuss. Heller says of her work, "All my books are nonfiction picture books in rhyme. I find writing in rhyme enjoyable and challenging, and I think it is an easy way for children to learn new facts and acquire a sophisticated vocabulary. Children are not intimidated by big words. I try to make my writing succinct and allow the illustrations to convey as much information as possible."On October 31, 1995, Grosset & Dunlap continues Heller's parts-of-speech books with the publication of Behind the Mask: A Book About Prepositions, a clever, thoughtful, eye-pleasing explanation of just how prepositions tell us about the "when" and "where" of things.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars captures the mystery of the sea, February 22, 2007

By 

puthupa "puthupa" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Sea within a Sea: Secrets of the Sargasso (Hardcover)

Our family loves this book. My son asks for it a lot, and adults and children alike enjoy reading it in our house. My son, age 4, has a serious interest in all things having to do with the ocean (sharks, fish, whales, etc.), and this book is a great addition to his collection. What is nice about it is that it captures both the fantasy aspect of the ocean (sea monsters, for instance), while also showing us some scientific facts (about the famed Sargasso Sea and its' inhabitants). I actually learned quite a bit that I didn't know about the Sargasso while reading it.

I have no idea what that other reviewer is talking about when he/she critiques the book's color. The artwork in this book is beautiful, and is quite colorful. I think some people seem to expect some sort of garish Disney-like experience all the time or something. There is a definite color scheme in the book - golds, blues, and a few touches of red, but that creates a certain mood (and is probably more true to this area of ocean). It's a fun challenge on some pages to have your child find the sea creatures in among the seaweed.

And finally, this book is well-written. The words are in the form of poetry, which makes it a good option for poetry study with your child. I've read some books for children that have irritating, forced poetry. This book is not irritating at all, and is actually quite beautiful.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Folklore monsters and oceanographic science, February 7, 2001

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Sea within a Sea: Secrets of the Sargasso (Hardcover)

The Sargasso Sea lies in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and is the source of countless maritime legends and lore. It is also a place of tranquility, marine life, and tangled seaweed that blankets the surface of the sea and entraps unwary ships. In A Sea Within A Sea: Secrets Of The Sargasso, Ruth Heller vividly explores the secrets of the Sargasso through well crafted rhymes and museum quality artwork. Young readers are treated to eels, flying fish, and other forms of fascinating aquatic life, folklore monsters and the oceanographic science of this natural wonder. Very highly recommended for school and community library collections.

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed, November 16, 2004

By 

Lily Liu (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Sea within a Sea: Secrets of the Sargasso (Hardcover)

I was very disappointed. It might be a book with nice drawings, but its grayish colors would not attract little kids at all. Kids likes bright and mild colors with simple but big and clear explanation words.

I am now wondering how should I sell it to somebody else so I can get some money back to buy some other picture books for my son.