These Seas Count!

K-Gr 2—The children in Mr. Tate's class join Captain Ned for a Beach Clean-up Day. Sadly, the shoreline and surf are littered with debris. When the captain instructs the students to listen to the sea, they stand at the edge of the rolling waves and hear about the unique creatures that make their home in the salty waters. The sea counts from "One whale" to "Ten bottlenose dolphins." Descriptive imagery perfectly captures the quintessential characteristics of each animal. "Four sea horses gallop in a saltwater rodeo" and "Seven jellyfish drift by, dancing a water ballet." The students quickly realize that "This sea counts!" Captain Ned and Mr. Tate continue the lesson, revealing the many ways a clean and healthy ocean matters. After collecting 10 bags of trash from the sandy shore, the children go out on Captain Ned's boat and clean up the water, too. The atmospheric digital collage illustrations are filled with texture, motion, and light. Captivated readers will imagine that they feel the warm sun, salty ocean spray, and cooling breezes along with the students. An afterword and suggested web links provide additional information about keeping the marine world safe. Pair this informative title with Formento's This Tree Counts! (2010) and These Bees Count! (2012, both Albert Whitman).—Linda L. Walkins, Saint Joseph Preparatory High School, Boston, MA