Be prepared for a few surprises when Danny ventures out into the bay in his dory. Although taking the dory out solo is strictly forbidden, Danny cannot resist the calm waters of the bay. And that's where the adventure begins. He thinks rowing into a school of bluefish is trouble enough, but wait until the whales enter the picture. Danny encounters one sea creature after another and learns about the ocean food chain in the process. Just when you think you know what's going to happen next, the story takes an unexpected twist. With brilliant and vibrant illustrations, readers will feel the excitement of being out on the water surrounded by ocean creatures. The life and the life cycle of the ocean will fascinate young readers.
K-Gr 2-The inviting cover features a life-jacketed boy standing in a red dory surrounded by a summer-blue sky and deep-blue sea, encircled by ominous dorsal fins. Disobeying parental admonitions to never go out in the boat alone, the narrator rows out into the peaceful bay to learn more about ocean life. What follows is an account of the aquatic food web. The child observes killer whales eating tuna eating bluefish eating mackerels eating sand lances eating shrimp eating plankton. When he spies the killer whales, he fears he may soon be part of the food chain himself. A fleeing tuna capsizes the dory, and the boy heroically swims through the ravenous sea. As he reaches a rock, the narrative is interrupted by his mother's voice. The last spread shows him safe and sound in a bubble bath with toy dory and fish in hand. "Danny, you tell the best stories when you're in the bathtub! You should write a book." Clever as Pallotta's idea is, the textual flow does not succeed as well as the luminous acrylic paintings do. Biedrzycki's striking art will guarantee this book an audience. The representational style with its pleasing variety of perspectives has a decided edge toward the surreal. Children are sure to lust after their own red dories.-Sue Sherif, Fairbanks North Star Borough Public Library, AK Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.
"A book that captures the sense of adventure, awe, and danger that the ocean inspires while presenting a solid bit of marine biology."
|
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
