Sea Bones
by Bob Barner
Date: 2015
Publisher: Chronicle Books (CA)
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book non-fiction
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library
Author and illustrator Bob Barner makes waves with his signature rhyming text and colorful illustrations in this lush picture book about the sea. Filled with incredible fishy facts about vertebrates, invertebrates, endoskeletons, and exoskeletons, plus an underwater informational chart, Sea Bones will make young readers want to dive right in!
(synopsis from Goodreads)
As the title suggests, Sea Bones is a book about ocean creatures and their bones (or lack thereof). A rhyming narrative runs along the top of the pages, underneath which is an illustration and more factual information about the creatures in question.
We learn about vertebrates and invertebrates, endoskeletons and exoskeletons, and even some creatures that don't have bones at all (such as jellyfish). The colourful collage illustrations bring the undersea world to life. At the end, there's a chart featuring some of the creatures encountered in the book, and we can clearly see which traits they do or don't have.
I liked Penguins, Penguins, Everywhere! by the same author a little more than this book. Then again, I've never been a huge fan of marine biology. This book would probably appeal more to those who really have an interest in the things that live in our oceans.
Premise: 3/5
Meter: 3/5
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 3/5
Enjoyment: 3/5
Overall: 3 out of 5
