cover image THE TIDE

THE TIDE

Nik Pollard, . . Millbrook/Roaring Brook, $15.95 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-7613-1536-0

A dizzying maelstrom of visual stimuli detracts from this exploration of tides. British newcomer Pollard chronicles a day at the beach, dramatizing how everything takes its cue from the sea: "Chug, chug, chug. A fishing boat slips from the harbor, chugging out to sea on the high tide." The boat, the hungry seagulls that follow it, the clam digger on the beach all depend upon the sea's rhythms. Oddly, though, this story of ebb and flow has little of its own. A torrent of unvaryingly bright color and wavering lines (that cumulatively simulate the effect of being off-register) muddle the artwork and may leave readers wondering where to look first. One spread, for instance, focuses on "crabs and starfish [that] hide quietly in still rock pools," but visually, there is no focus. The brown rocks, blue water and black gulls receive equal weight in color and prominence; nothing stands out. Although conceptually intriguing, the story suffers from too much repetition: "Trudge, trudge, trudge. A colorful clam digger trudges past. Pushes his bicycle onto the beach. Bustling birds stand on the sand waiting for the tide to drop. Trudge, trudge, trudge." The complexity of the compositions ultimately undermines the simplicity and repetition of the language. Ages 3-6. (May)