Seahorses

Digital images combine naturalistic elements with dramatic luminescence in this story that follows a male seahorse through its life cycle. After detailing the seahorse’s growth, traits, and diet, Curtis poetically describes the moment when it meets a female, then prepares to mate: “His fins become very dark brown as he waltzes around her to music only he can hear.” Readers may be surprised to learn that the male carries the fertilized eggs inside his pouch: “While he is pregnant, he remains quite still, eating only the krill that happen to drift in front of him.” A bountiful birth of seahorse fry and their departure into the green-glowing sea offers a graceful finale. Ages 4–up. (Sept.)