Hello Ocean

Author: Pam Muñoz Ryan Illustrator: Mark Astrella
Product Code: 69877
ISBN: 978-0-88106-987-7
Binding Information: Hardcover
Ages: 3 - 6
Availability: In stock.
Price: $16.95

"Hello, ocean,
my old best friend."

Relive a day at the beach with this lovely book of memories. You can almost feel the salt spray on your face and smell the musky scent of ocean in the cool morning air. Remember how the sand squishes between your toes as the tide rushes to shore and taste the tang of the ocean on your lips. Hello Ocean is a joy-filled and playful poem about the draw of the shore and the effect the ocean has on all five senses. Spirited language evokes a sense of closeness and nostalgia for an old friend. The inspiration of the ocean will make learning the five senses as easy as a day at the beach.

Crisp, realistic illustrations fill the pages with the rush of surf and the warmth of sun-baked sand. The sights and smells and sensations of the ocean become vividly clear in these beautifully rendered paintings.

Also Available As:

Hello Ocean

Binding Information: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-88106-988-4
Availability: In stock.
Price: $7.95

Reviews

Booklist, starred review - March 31, 2001

This picture book, a splendid celebration of the ocean, is a stunning combination of scientific fact, poetry, and artistic talent. Photographic clarity, brilliant colors, and detail born of familiarity with the ocean characterize Astrella's acrylic paintings, which build on the rhythms and energy of Ryan's expressive rhymes. A young girl relates her experiences at the beach to her five senses. Through her perspective, the briny milieu will become real--even to children who have never paid a visit to the sea: "I see the ocean, gray, green blue, a chameleon always changing hue....I hear the ocean, a lion's roar, crashing rumors toward the shore....I touch the ocean and the surf gives chase, then wraps me in a wet embrace....Sandy grains in a salty drink are best for fish and whales, I think." The girl's stay at the beach comes to an end on the book's final page. Other little ones are more fortunate. They can flip back to the beginning of the book and experience the beauty and mystery of the ocean all over again.

Book Links - November 30, 2001

"Hello, ocean, my old friend. I'm here, with the five of me, again!" With lyrical text and bright, clear pictures, a little girl explores the treasures of the ocean through her five senses. Beautiful, photo-realistic art marks this successful mixture of scientific fact and poetry.

School Library Journal - July 15, 2008

Large, vibrant paintings that are almost photographic depict a young girl exploring the beach with all five senses. The text is brief and poetic and "sense" words are bolded. This book can be used to discuss the beach, explore vocabulary, and inspire writing exercises with children.