A First Book of the Sea

Davies follows up Song of the Wild: A First Book of Animals with a collection of more than 50 sea-themed poems. The verses focus on familiar beach activities; “journeys,” from ship voyages to migrating whales; life under the sea; and “wonders,” such as tide pools and shoals. The poems vary in tone. A serious poem, “Deadliest of All?” calls out “the plastic we throw away/ that strangles, suffocates, and poisons”; in “Happiness,” meanwhile, a child is pictured gazing at a warm sunset over the bay: “Sand in my shoes./ Salt in my hair.” Sutton’s watercolor art offers sweeping, loose lines in cresting waves, sands, and skies, with sharper details in ship masts, sails, and delicate corals. A gentle compendium to read between sea visits. Ages 3–7. [em](Sept.) [/em]