Award-winning nonfiction author Melissa Stewart reveals the surprising ways seashells provide more than shelter to the mollusks that inhabit them.
Melissa Stewart is the award-winning author of more than one
hundred fifty science books for children. She holds degrees in
biology and science journalism. Recent books include Feathers- Not
Just for Flying; No Monkeys, No Chocolate; and Can an Aardvark
Bark?
Sarah S. Brannen is the author and illustrator of Bear Needs Help,
Madame Martine, and the illustrator of Feathers- Not Just for
Flying; Digging for Troy- From Homer to Hisarlik; and At Home in
Her Tomb- Lady Dai and the Ancient Chinese Treasures of Mawangdui.
sarahbrannen.yellapalooza.com
♦ In this handsome companion volume to the ALA Notable book
Feathers: Not Just for Flying, Stewart and Brannen provide insights
into why seashells vary so greatly in shape, size, and color.
Beyond providing protection for aquatic animals, shells sometimes
offer forms of locomotion, disguise, warnings, tools, and waste
removal. A double-page spread on the nautilus opens, “Seashells can
rise and sink like a submarine,” and explains that the animal
creates vertical movement by pumping in or releasing water from its
spiraled shell, which has chambers containing a lightweight gas. A
marine-blue underwater scene features a close-up of a nautilus with
a dark gray submarine visible in the distance, while a separate
drawing of the nautilus shell points out its gas chambers and the
movement of water. The large-print text that runs across the tops
of the pages makes excellent use of similes, while short, clearly
written paragraphs of pertinent information appear below the
illustrations. From the book jacket to the typefaces to the
layouts, the book’s design is inviting. The beautiful watercolor
paintings work seamlessly with the text to clarify concepts, while
keeping the book’s audience in mind. Suggesting new ways to think
about seashells, this volume is highly recommended for science
collections.
—Booklist, starred review
A well-researched addition to the ocean biome canon, Seashells is
unique in that it pairs form with function. Both the text and
illustrations present information that is easy to digest and
understand. Introducing the concept that seashells come in various
shapes and colors due to their different jobs, the author and
illustrator then launch into examples such as the scallops that can
flit like a butterfly. This is paired with an illustration of a
butterfly, a diagram of a shell and how its movement mirrors a
butterfly, the shell in its environment, and corresponding text.
The language is not too informational or too -poetic; it is just
the right amount of colorful and interesting. An appendix of sorts
and additional resources are included. VERDICT A delightful
addition to an elementary library's nonfiction collection.
—School Library Journal
An essential book for young beachcombers, Seashells: More Than a
Home provides a fascinating overview of 13 kinds of shells. In
her accessible text, author Melissa Stewart covers the form,
function and native habitat of each shellfish, from the beautifully
curved chambered nautilus and the heart-shaped cockle to the
Atlantic bay scallop with its rows of fine ridges. Stewart uses
analogies from everyday life to help readers understand how these
“treasures from a secret world beneath the waves” house clams,
snails, oysters and other creatures. Artist Sarah S. Brannen brings
the narrative to life through watercolor scenes of boys and girls
exploring the seashore and collecting specimens. Precise sketches
and diagrams of the shells lend a naturalist feel to the
proceedings. Suggestions for further reading and a listing of
mollusk types round out the volume. This fun, fact-filled book will
inspire up-and-coming collectors while equipping them with
important information.
—BookPage
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