Oceans

If you visit the shore, you'll soon notice
the daily rise and fall of the water, which
we call tides.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Simon, Seymour. Oceans. New York: Smithsonian HapreCollins

Publishers, 1990.

ISBN 0688094538

Seymour Simon

PLOT SUMMARY:

The Earth, unlike any other planet, more liquid water than surface -- come explore the currents, depths, and tides of the ocean. Oceans bring us life and death; beauty and brutality  -- oceans are a beautiful contradiction that play a vital role in Earth's existence and human activity. Life in the ocean "began millions of years ago and is home to an incredible number of living things, from microscopic plants and animals called plankton to giant whales larger than any dinosaur." The ocean is awakening and full of life and "throughout the ages, the sea has been the inspiration for art, music, and poetry..."and this perpetual game will continue all "a source of food and a highway to travel."

CRITICALY ANALYSIS:

Seymour Simon begins this book and journey from space looking at the Earth and discussing it's distinct surface; the fact that "more than 70 percent of the earth's surface is covered by oceans" speaks volumes to our existence and ability to continue existing. The images and pictures help to demonstrate the Simon's text. As Simon introduces and discusses the "ocean currents of the world" and how they "flow in huge circular paths called gyres," the "computer-generated picture shows water temperature in colors from the warmest (red) to the coolest (blue);" without this visual the reader is left to image where the warm and cool waters flow. Seymour Simon's usage of basic words and simple language along with detailed images and vivid pictures brings a unique style that is attractive to all readers. As Simon ventures into the ocean depths to show a different world and more specific life forms  we learn that "all sea animals depend upon the multitudes of tiny plankton plants, which drift in the surface waters of the ocean" and these "tiny plants are eaten by small fish and other animals, which are eaten by large animals, and which are eaten, in turn, by even larger animals." The food chain is alive and working; as a matter of fact, "tons of sea animals of all kinds are eaten each day by people all over the world" which brings the food chain to the Earth's surface. Seymour Simon also points out that mankind has mistreated the oceans and in an eloquent manner informs readers that "the seas have always been able to renew itself, but we are reaching the limits of this vast ocean world;" this elicits critical thinking and questions from readers. What should we do; what can we do to stop this and preserve our oceans.

REVIEW EXCERPT:

Booklist: "Remarkable."

The Horn Book: "Visually stunning."

                  
Lalith Polepeddi: "This is a very edicational, easy-to-read book that gives information on the single body of water that the world is covered in. I especially liked all the interesting facts mentioned in this book and it was an informational and short read. Some of the facts that I found interesting were that the ocean has more tha one-and-one-half quintillion (15 followed by 17 zeros) tons of water - that 100 billion gallons of water for each person in the world - , how scientists use echo sounding to find out the physical features of the ocean, the cause of tides in relation to the moon and the sun, and the incredible numbers of life forms in the sea. There are also a couple of pages talking about waves - both destructive (tsunamis, hurricane waves) and normal waves that you see at the beach. The fantastic color photographs are simply breathtaking. This book also has good diagrams and the text is clear and concise."

CONNECTIONS:

* Develop a fact sheet from the book

* Draw a picture of your favorite ocean creature

* Create a 3-dimensional representation of the Earth
    (accuaracy is important--remember 70% of Earth's
      surface is water)
* Read other books by Seymour Simon
* Read other books about the Earth
* Compare and contrast the food chain -- Earth & Oceans