cover image Star of the Sea: A Day in the Life of a Starfish

Star of the Sea: A Day in the Life of a Starfish

Janet Halfmann, illus. by Joan Paley. Holt/Ottaviano, $16.99 (32p) ISBN 978-0-8050-9073-4

Poetic verse and vibrant collages characterize this tribute to starfish. Halfmann treats her heroine as an almost epic figure as the sea star ventures in search of food. "Like a circus acrobat, she folds over two of her rays and grips the rocky shore with her sticky feet." The starfish gorges herself on mussels before falling victim to a seagull's attack; thanks to her regenerative abilities, though, she'll live to hunt another day. In rich colors and textures, Paley's tide pool hums with life, while an afterword provides more scientific information about this echinoderm. Ages 5%E2%80%939. (May)