cover image The Secret Bay

The Secret Bay

Kimberly Ridley, illus. by Rebekah Raye. Tilbury House, $17.95 (36p) ISBN 978-0-88448-433-2

Told from the perspective of an estuary, this rhyming story (a follow-up to The Secret Pool) explores the animal and plant life within this habitat. Among the subjects covered are horseshoe crabs, mummichogs (also known as mud minnows), “Midges, mosquitoes, and big greenhead flies,” among many others. Although Ridley’s verse can be a tad corny in places, and Raye’s illustrations waver between polished and more roughly sketched, they combine to convey a marshland brimming with life: “Cordgrass is swishing all over my shores./ Pickleweed covers my soft, sandy floors.” Detailed sidebars and extensive back matter provide a wealth of information about the creatures that make their home in tidal estuaries. Ages 6–11. (Oct.)