Hirschi shows that seasons change in the ocean, too, as plants such as kelp and animals from humpback whales to zooplankton grow and develop throughout the year. The fluid prose too often sacrifices clarity in favor of literary devices. Realistic paintings illustrate the text. Reproducible "Food Web Cards" are included, and further expository text is appended.

Unfurling the observation that seasonal cycles aren't solely land-based phenomena, veteran naturalist Hirschi sails readers from one spring to the next along the northern Pacific coast. His text offers brief commentary on Carlson's clear-toned, full-spread marine scenes—of kelp being eaten by urchins, which are in turn eaten by sea otters; of plankton blooms, salmon runs and seabirds; of humpback whales feeding on schools of small fish, turning southward when the surface temperature cools to calve in tropical waters, then returning northward "as sea plants begin to spread their sparkling growth once again." Two spreads of fact "cards" (reproducible from the publisher's website for cutting out) add further value to this excursion into the natural world. (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-8)

Gr 1-3-Through large, painterly pictures in soft, natural colors, this book shows changes in marine ecology through the seasons in the Pacific Northwest, comparing it also with land ecology. The emphasis is on food chains and the cycles of predator and prey. In spring, there is new plant growth in the sea, with urchins feeding on kelp and in turn serving as a meal for hungry sea otters. Whales are an important part of this ecosystem, and their yearly cycle of feeding, migration, and breeding is a focal point for this calm, easy-to-read narrative. Back matter includes a spread that has small cardlike blocks with color illustrations of ocean life and lists of prey and predators for each animal or plant. Readers are encouraged to photocopy the cards or download them from the publisher's Web site and then manipulate the cards to create groups of predators, allowing them to see that some animals are always at the top of the food chain. A final spread has seasonal information about land and ocean ecology. Although this book is not an exhaustive look at ocean ecology, it does give a conceptual glance at seasonal changes and the wide-ranging significance of the predator-prey relationship and the interdependency of the ocean's inhabitants. It's a nicely written and illustrated introduction with some unique features, especially the hands-on activity.-Lynda Ritterman, Atco Elementary School, NJ Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.