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Coral Reefs: A Journey Through an Aquatic World Full of Wonder
During an ordinary visit to the library, a girl pulls a not-so-ordinary book from the shelves. As she turns the pages in this book about coral reefs, the city around her slips away and she finds herself surrounded by the coral cities of the sea and the mysterious plants and animals that live, hunt, and hide there.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published October 25, 2011
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789 people want to read
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March 8, 2020
This was so well done. A girl is looking at this book in the library about the coral reefs. As she is reading it, her imagination takes over and all these facts about the ocean begin to appear and the room fills with water and she and her book are swimming all over the ocean. We learn about fish cities, the coral reefs and how they house most of the life in the ocean. This book is packed with facts and we see how it all looks in the head of the girl.
I like that when she is done, she is wet on the steps of the library and all the kids want to read the book for the experience. It’s a wonderful blend of whimsy and how coral reefs work. It’s a great way to tell a serious story.
The nephew was even interested in this story. He thought it would be cool if the library filled with water like that. I said it would ruin all the books and he looked at me and said it’s all pretend, silly. He would like to go scuba diving someday. He gave this 4 stars. He thought the sharks were a bit scary.
I like that when she is done, she is wet on the steps of the library and all the kids want to read the book for the experience. It’s a wonderful blend of whimsy and how coral reefs work. It’s a great way to tell a serious story.
The nephew was even interested in this story. He thought it would be cool if the library filled with water like that. I said it would ruin all the books and he looked at me and said it’s all pretend, silly. He would like to go scuba diving someday. He gave this 4 stars. He thought the sharks were a bit scary.
January 22, 2025
This book is utterly delightful.
I’ve always had an obsession with sea coral.
My first experience that I can remember with sea coral was when my then boyfriend gifted me with a vivid pink piece of coral.
I was about 10 or 11 at the time.
Yeah, this was a little childhood romance that I had. But it was a romance nonetheless, and I can just remember, exclaiming in delight liand gazing at the lush color of this beautiful piece of coral.
Growing up , I had many interests in life. One of them was night club hopping an activity which, thankfully I grew out of. Another one that lit a fire in me was politics. And, of course, reading, which I’ve done from childhood.
But travel was another interest of mine, and the times I was happiest were the times I spent near the sea whether that was in the Caribbean islands, or the breathtaking, rocky coast of Maine, or the tropical beaches of Florida
I always always retained my love of the sea.
Always.
Now , I should mention a few things about this. I could not download it, so I want to warn others that you may have to read it online as I did. It’s quite short, and I will say the only negative is that the print was very tiny in certain parts, so there was certain things, certain words that I just couldn’t retain but otherwise it was beautiful, and I think one of the most delightful aspects of it were the illustrations which were really beautiful.
You will learn some new things too. I had no idea that sea coral were referred to as cities in the sea.
Take a little escape into this delightful book. Highly recommended.
I’ve always had an obsession with sea coral.
My first experience that I can remember with sea coral was when my then boyfriend gifted me with a vivid pink piece of coral.
I was about 10 or 11 at the time.
Yeah, this was a little childhood romance that I had. But it was a romance nonetheless, and I can just remember, exclaiming in delight liand gazing at the lush color of this beautiful piece of coral.
Growing up , I had many interests in life. One of them was night club hopping an activity which, thankfully I grew out of. Another one that lit a fire in me was politics. And, of course, reading, which I’ve done from childhood.
But travel was another interest of mine, and the times I was happiest were the times I spent near the sea whether that was in the Caribbean islands, or the breathtaking, rocky coast of Maine, or the tropical beaches of Florida
I always always retained my love of the sea.
Always.
Now , I should mention a few things about this. I could not download it, so I want to warn others that you may have to read it online as I did. It’s quite short, and I will say the only negative is that the print was very tiny in certain parts, so there was certain things, certain words that I just couldn’t retain but otherwise it was beautiful, and I think one of the most delightful aspects of it were the illustrations which were really beautiful.
You will learn some new things too. I had no idea that sea coral were referred to as cities in the sea.
Take a little escape into this delightful book. Highly recommended.
February 11, 2018
An effective and novel introduction to the nature and ecology of coral reefs, Coral Reefs which has been both written and illustrated by Jason Chin, is both engaging and informative, presenting not only general and specific information and details about coral reef communities and their environs, but also demonstrating the unfortunate fact, the unfortunate truth that coral reefs are not only vibrant and diverse marine communities, but that many of these communities are increasingly being endangered by and through human encroachment, overfishing, pollution, climate change etc.
Now the entire concept of Coral Reefs, of a young girl going to the library to read a book about coral reefs and then having both herself and her surroundings (her local library, her local city) literally become part of a coral reef community is quite visually stunning (and some of the illustrations, some of the scenes feel almost reminiscent of a lost city under the sea, like Atlantis). However, first and foremost, Jason Chin's gloriously bright, descriptive pictures provide not only a successfully rendered mirror of and to the presented narrative, they also reiterate one of the main messages, one of the main points of Coral Reefs, namely that coral reef communities are in many ways like huge, underwater cities. And like our own cities, these coral reefs, while vibrant, diverse, and constantly on the move, are also vulnerable and can be threatened by both natural and man-made, artificial phenomena. And finally, regard to age suitability, the actual text of Coral Reefs is pretty dense, wordy and rather involved, and I would therefore tend to recommend this book more for older children above the age of six or even seven. For while I do in fact believe that even younger children would likely enjoy the brightly descriptive illustrations, the narrative flow is definitely a bit slow moving and detailed at times (and thus might be a bit distracting and difficult for the very young, not to mention that the featured threats encountered by coral reefs are or at least could be a bit hard for toddlers, for children up to the age of six or so to adequately fathom and comprehend).
Now the entire concept of Coral Reefs, of a young girl going to the library to read a book about coral reefs and then having both herself and her surroundings (her local library, her local city) literally become part of a coral reef community is quite visually stunning (and some of the illustrations, some of the scenes feel almost reminiscent of a lost city under the sea, like Atlantis). However, first and foremost, Jason Chin's gloriously bright, descriptive pictures provide not only a successfully rendered mirror of and to the presented narrative, they also reiterate one of the main messages, one of the main points of Coral Reefs, namely that coral reef communities are in many ways like huge, underwater cities. And like our own cities, these coral reefs, while vibrant, diverse, and constantly on the move, are also vulnerable and can be threatened by both natural and man-made, artificial phenomena. And finally, regard to age suitability, the actual text of Coral Reefs is pretty dense, wordy and rather involved, and I would therefore tend to recommend this book more for older children above the age of six or even seven. For while I do in fact believe that even younger children would likely enjoy the brightly descriptive illustrations, the narrative flow is definitely a bit slow moving and detailed at times (and thus might be a bit distracting and difficult for the very young, not to mention that the featured threats encountered by coral reefs are or at least could be a bit hard for toddlers, for children up to the age of six or so to adequately fathom and comprehend).
November 11, 2012
Like Chin’s book Redwoods, this book has a fictional story within the non-fiction book and marvelous illustrations.
When a young girl in the NYC public library pulls a book about coral reefs (this very one) off the shelves and reads it, she falls right into the book, into the coral reef. The page where this first happens elicited a huge smile from me; that illustration is so much fun.
There are many interesting facts about coral reefs but even in the book proper, the information detail and vocabulary have me thinking this is for readers 9 and up. Younger children who have interest in marine biology and coral reefs might enjoying viewing the book and having it read to them, but I think it will best be appreciated by those 9-13.
There is a two page spread in the back that has additional information with great emphasis on how coral reefs are vulnerable and about some ways humans can protect them. The author is definitely ecologically minded. He reveals in his author’s note how as part of research for this book he traveled to the Belize barrier reef. (Lucky man, who made the most of it, and gave back to his readers.) He also lists books and websites he used.
When a young girl in the NYC public library pulls a book about coral reefs (this very one) off the shelves and reads it, she falls right into the book, into the coral reef. The page where this first happens elicited a huge smile from me; that illustration is so much fun.
There are many interesting facts about coral reefs but even in the book proper, the information detail and vocabulary have me thinking this is for readers 9 and up. Younger children who have interest in marine biology and coral reefs might enjoying viewing the book and having it read to them, but I think it will best be appreciated by those 9-13.
There is a two page spread in the back that has additional information with great emphasis on how coral reefs are vulnerable and about some ways humans can protect them. The author is definitely ecologically minded. He reveals in his author’s note how as part of research for this book he traveled to the Belize barrier reef. (Lucky man, who made the most of it, and gave back to his readers.) He also lists books and websites he used.
November 29, 2011
First things first. Let's just get something out the way here before I go any further. I am not exactly a disinterested party when it comes to this book. No, I don't know the author personally (though we did meet once). No, I never saw an early manuscript or offered helpful criticisms when the text was still young and unformed. No, I am not a coral reef myself. See, the thing about this book is that it takes place at a very specific location. The bulk of the story happens when a kid enters a library. And not just any library. My library. And by "my" I don't mean my local branch. I mean my employer. So you see, I'm not sure I can be trusted to review this with an impassive eye. There's something that makes a gal go all giddy when a book features her place of work. Never mind that Chin has already established himself as a master of the magical realism nonfiction form (see: Redwoods) or that the book covers material rarely presented in such an imaginative fashion. Nonfiction books for kids are usually such dull, dry affairs. Clearly an author has to get a little bit wet sometimes to make them interesting. And compromised though I might be, I'm recommending this puppy with all my heart.
A girl stands in a library room and removes a book from a shelf entitled Coral Reefs. As she reads we see the text below each image. The book explains how reefs are formed, who lives in them, and what their future may be. As we read along we see the girl's library suddenly flooded. New York City is now underwater and the girl observes firsthand the lagoons, the feeding grounds, and the food chain at work. By the end she stands on the library steps utterly wet, and some other kids get to read the book world beneath the sea for themselves. The back of the book features an author's note on the threats the coral reefs now face as well as additional facts and a small bibliography of useful books and websites.
The Stephen A. Schwarzman branch of New York Public Library (better known to the bulk of the world as "the library with the big stone lions out front") has appeared in various works of children's literature for years. From a significant appearance on the dedication page of James Daugherty's Andy and the Lion to the The Inside-Outside Book of Libraries (by former NYPL employee Julie Cummins, no less) to Hilary and the Lions by Frank Desaix, there is no end to the number of titles that have displayed it in some way. Of course, only a few of those books actually give glimpses of the inside of the library itself. This book not only glimpses the inside, it fills it with saltwater. I expect a lot of kids are going to find our rooms a bit disappointing after they go on the oceanic journey of Coral Reefs first.
Naturally Chin spoke about this book in my library not that long ago to two classes of second and third graders. Lest you believe kids of that age range cannot take interest in anything that doesn't involve princesses or Star Wars characters, allow me to say that the children who saw the man speak took in, processed, and retained the information here. After reading the book and explaining how he wrote it he asked the kids what it is that parrotfish eat. When he called on a girl with her hand in the air she said, with no hesitation, "Polyps." I exchanged glances with the grown-ups seated around me. Heck, I couldn't have told him that and I'd been listening the whole time. Kids: 1. Grown-up librarians: Zip Zero Zilch. Now I should note that the text in this book is very straightforward. The girl's journey doesn't enter into it. Chin is telling you about coral reefs straight on without prettying it up or doing much more than giving you the facts of the matter. Be aware.
When a kid gets an assignment in school to do a report on coral reefs, they're going to go to their local library looking for one of those perfectly nice but relatively dull books with lots of information and the occasional photograph of an octopus or a grouper. Chin's idea to couple his facts with a kid exploring them firsthand was one he used to great effect in the previous book Redwoods. Like this book, that one showed a kid reading a book in a New York City (in that case, on a subway), emerging from the station into a world of enormous trees. Here our heroine is in NYPL's Rose Reading Room (meticulously and accurately rendered) when she is swept into an underwater world. For the images Chin uses the most delicate of watercolors. He's a master of them too. It can be no easy task to show what the underside of the ocean looking up might be, or to pinpoint what shadowed underwater light looks like. From the endpapers of the fishies to the animals you spot around the reef, Chin has taken his time with this book to make it absolutely marvelous. I think it took me several readings before I realized that like the squirrel companion in Redwoods, here we have a crab companion for our heroine who crops up in various pictures from time to time.
I once gave a tour of the Rose Reading Room (the place where everything in this book starts) to a group of kids familiar with this book. I led the kids to the place where the book occurs so that they could stand there themselves. I held up the images, drawing the attention of children and tourists alike. If there is a flaw in the book it's that it shows the girl getting this very same book out of the Reading Room to read. That is untrue. To read this book you will have to go three floors down and enter the Children's Center. There you will find a copy ready and waiting for you. A copy that will tell you everything you ever wanted or needed to know about the vast, amazing, entrancing world of coral reefs and the creatures that make it their home. Gorgeous work. Great facts. A singular title.
For ages 5 and up.
A girl stands in a library room and removes a book from a shelf entitled Coral Reefs. As she reads we see the text below each image. The book explains how reefs are formed, who lives in them, and what their future may be. As we read along we see the girl's library suddenly flooded. New York City is now underwater and the girl observes firsthand the lagoons, the feeding grounds, and the food chain at work. By the end she stands on the library steps utterly wet, and some other kids get to read the book world beneath the sea for themselves. The back of the book features an author's note on the threats the coral reefs now face as well as additional facts and a small bibliography of useful books and websites.
The Stephen A. Schwarzman branch of New York Public Library (better known to the bulk of the world as "the library with the big stone lions out front") has appeared in various works of children's literature for years. From a significant appearance on the dedication page of James Daugherty's Andy and the Lion to the The Inside-Outside Book of Libraries (by former NYPL employee Julie Cummins, no less) to Hilary and the Lions by Frank Desaix, there is no end to the number of titles that have displayed it in some way. Of course, only a few of those books actually give glimpses of the inside of the library itself. This book not only glimpses the inside, it fills it with saltwater. I expect a lot of kids are going to find our rooms a bit disappointing after they go on the oceanic journey of Coral Reefs first.
Naturally Chin spoke about this book in my library not that long ago to two classes of second and third graders. Lest you believe kids of that age range cannot take interest in anything that doesn't involve princesses or Star Wars characters, allow me to say that the children who saw the man speak took in, processed, and retained the information here. After reading the book and explaining how he wrote it he asked the kids what it is that parrotfish eat. When he called on a girl with her hand in the air she said, with no hesitation, "Polyps." I exchanged glances with the grown-ups seated around me. Heck, I couldn't have told him that and I'd been listening the whole time. Kids: 1. Grown-up librarians: Zip Zero Zilch. Now I should note that the text in this book is very straightforward. The girl's journey doesn't enter into it. Chin is telling you about coral reefs straight on without prettying it up or doing much more than giving you the facts of the matter. Be aware.
When a kid gets an assignment in school to do a report on coral reefs, they're going to go to their local library looking for one of those perfectly nice but relatively dull books with lots of information and the occasional photograph of an octopus or a grouper. Chin's idea to couple his facts with a kid exploring them firsthand was one he used to great effect in the previous book Redwoods. Like this book, that one showed a kid reading a book in a New York City (in that case, on a subway), emerging from the station into a world of enormous trees. Here our heroine is in NYPL's Rose Reading Room (meticulously and accurately rendered) when she is swept into an underwater world. For the images Chin uses the most delicate of watercolors. He's a master of them too. It can be no easy task to show what the underside of the ocean looking up might be, or to pinpoint what shadowed underwater light looks like. From the endpapers of the fishies to the animals you spot around the reef, Chin has taken his time with this book to make it absolutely marvelous. I think it took me several readings before I realized that like the squirrel companion in Redwoods, here we have a crab companion for our heroine who crops up in various pictures from time to time.
I once gave a tour of the Rose Reading Room (the place where everything in this book starts) to a group of kids familiar with this book. I led the kids to the place where the book occurs so that they could stand there themselves. I held up the images, drawing the attention of children and tourists alike. If there is a flaw in the book it's that it shows the girl getting this very same book out of the Reading Room to read. That is untrue. To read this book you will have to go three floors down and enter the Children's Center. There you will find a copy ready and waiting for you. A copy that will tell you everything you ever wanted or needed to know about the vast, amazing, entrancing world of coral reefs and the creatures that make it their home. Gorgeous work. Great facts. A singular title.
For ages 5 and up.
September 23, 2012
4.5 STARS
An engaging and suitably colorful book about coral reefs (the Belize barrier reef is the model for the reef and creatures seen here, though the information is pertinent to coral reefs as a whole). I loved the format with the girl reading the book about coral reefs from the library (I think the NY Public Library, though I may be mistaken; I think the big lion statues out front are in one of the photos) and gradually finding herself drawn into the book, the coral reef popping up around her inside the library and then spilling out into the city. It was a nice analogy because Chin likens coral reefs to the cities of the ocean, and NYC is certainly a model city! The information is detailed without being overwhelming and the author's note provides more information and additional resources for those looking to learn more. Also included are ways for children to help the environment and help save our precious coral reefs. This pairs nicely with Steve Jenkins' Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea to provide a more complete, overall picture of our oceans.
An engaging and suitably colorful book about coral reefs (the Belize barrier reef is the model for the reef and creatures seen here, though the information is pertinent to coral reefs as a whole). I loved the format with the girl reading the book about coral reefs from the library (I think the NY Public Library, though I may be mistaken; I think the big lion statues out front are in one of the photos) and gradually finding herself drawn into the book, the coral reef popping up around her inside the library and then spilling out into the city. It was a nice analogy because Chin likens coral reefs to the cities of the ocean, and NYC is certainly a model city! The information is detailed without being overwhelming and the author's note provides more information and additional resources for those looking to learn more. Also included are ways for children to help the environment and help save our precious coral reefs. This pairs nicely with Steve Jenkins' Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea to provide a more complete, overall picture of our oceans.
June 17, 2019
With the same blend of magical realism and natural history that he used to such brilliant effect in his
Redwoods
, picture-book author/artist Jason Chin spins the tale of a young library patron who, upon opening a book about coral reefs, finds herself embarking upon a fantastic underwater journey. The text itself is engaging, but strictly informative - the reader learns about this important marine ecosystem, from the corals themselves, whose limestone skeletons gradually become an underwater city, to the many species who use that city as a home and/or hunting ground - while the artwork shows the young girl witnessing everything being described. Decorative endpapers, with various marine species, and a brief afterword provide more information to curious readers.
I really enjoyed Coral Reefs, which was chosen as one of our September selections in The Picture-Book Club to which I belong, where our theme this month is "ecosystems," and think that its creator, Jason Chin, is one of the best of the new picture-book artists out there. The illustrations here are gorgeous, and the concept of an informational book paired with a visual adventure-story is a good one - both effective and entertaining. All in all, this was a lovely picture-book, one I would recommend to all young ocean lovers, as well as to fans of the author/artist!
I really enjoyed Coral Reefs, which was chosen as one of our September selections in The Picture-Book Club to which I belong, where our theme this month is "ecosystems," and think that its creator, Jason Chin, is one of the best of the new picture-book artists out there. The illustrations here are gorgeous, and the concept of an informational book paired with a visual adventure-story is a good one - both effective and entertaining. All in all, this was a lovely picture-book, one I would recommend to all young ocean lovers, as well as to fans of the author/artist!
March 4, 2012
A lovely book. It begins when a girl pulls this very book off the shelves at a library and starts reading. The text is pure non-fiction: straightforward and clear information about coral reefs ecosystems. But the illustrations transform the story: as the girl reads about how coral grows, different types of coral begin to grow up behind her. When she reads that "Coral reefs are home to thousands of plants and animals", water pours in, bringing those creatures with them. The girl floats and swims through the water, seeing the plants and animals being described in the text.
For children reading by themselves, the amount of text, more complex sentences and more challenging vocabulary are likely best suited for middle grade readers. For example: "As the coral grows, it creates many cracks and crevices in the reef that make perfect hiding places for small fish." For reading aloud, however, I think it could be enjoyed by all ages: the illustrations show small fish hiding in cracks and crevices. There's so much to look at, you could even skip most of the text and just talk about what's going in the illustrations.
(Note: I received a free advance reading copy of this book from the publisher at an American Library Association Annual Conference. I was not required to write a positive review. Thank you, Roaring Brook Press!)
For children reading by themselves, the amount of text, more complex sentences and more challenging vocabulary are likely best suited for middle grade readers. For example: "As the coral grows, it creates many cracks and crevices in the reef that make perfect hiding places for small fish." For reading aloud, however, I think it could be enjoyed by all ages: the illustrations show small fish hiding in cracks and crevices. There's so much to look at, you could even skip most of the text and just talk about what's going in the illustrations.
(Note: I received a free advance reading copy of this book from the publisher at an American Library Association Annual Conference. I was not required to write a positive review. Thank you, Roaring Brook Press!)
September 10, 2012
Great illustrations, along with interesting descriptions of coral reefs and the animals that depend upon them. Includes several animals that I'd never heard of (such as the frogfish and the scorpion fish). My kids were both fascinated by and disgusted by the neon gobies that eat parasites and dead skin off of tiger groupies. The gobies even swim inside the groupers' mouths to clean their teeth. A great example of a symbiotic relationship. The book compares coral reefs to cities...great cities under the sea.
The book includes some additional notes on coral reefs, including the threats to them and how we can protect them, the partnership between the coral polyps and their algae, and a note about his research.
Well written, this held the interest of my 7 and 9 year old completely and my 4 year old paid attention through most of the book (but then wandered off to play quietly with barbies, still listening but not looking at the pictures any more).
Could be used to discuss coral reefs, symbiotic relationships, animal adaptations, the food chain, and conservation.
The book includes some additional notes on coral reefs, including the threats to them and how we can protect them, the partnership between the coral polyps and their algae, and a note about his research.
Well written, this held the interest of my 7 and 9 year old completely and my 4 year old paid attention through most of the book (but then wandered off to play quietly with barbies, still listening but not looking at the pictures any more).
Could be used to discuss coral reefs, symbiotic relationships, animal adaptations, the food chain, and conservation.
September 15, 2012
We recently read Redwoods by Jason Chin and we really liked it. I love the way that the book informs but still tells a secondary story through the illustrations. So when we saw this book about coral reefs, we just knew we had to read it.
The story is long and the information is fairly detailed, so I would recommend this for older children. But, as we saw withRedwoods, the colorful illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. They create an underwater world right inside the Stephen A. Schwarzman branch of the New York Public Library. At the end of the story we even see the famous library lions, "Patience" and "Fortitude" as the little girl shares her discovery with some other children.
We loved the details, especially the ocean-themed designs in the ceiling and the sushi restaurant. The additional information about the threat to coral reefs is very enlightening and explains what children can do to help the environment.
This story was selected as one of the books for the September 2012 - Ecosystems reads at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
The story is long and the information is fairly detailed, so I would recommend this for older children. But, as we saw withRedwoods, the colorful illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. They create an underwater world right inside the Stephen A. Schwarzman branch of the New York Public Library. At the end of the story we even see the famous library lions, "Patience" and "Fortitude" as the little girl shares her discovery with some other children.
We loved the details, especially the ocean-themed designs in the ceiling and the sushi restaurant. The additional information about the threat to coral reefs is very enlightening and explains what children can do to help the environment.
This story was selected as one of the books for the September 2012 - Ecosystems reads at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
January 12, 2012
Using the similar combination of nonfiction and magical realism as he did in Redwoods (Flash Point, 2009), Chin presents a beautiful look at the ecosystem of coral reefs. A girl enters the New York Public Library and pulls out a book from the shelves; careful readers will note that she selects this same book, Coral Reefs. Soon, coral begins to grow around her on the tables and the floor. Water puddles appear on the floor. A crab scurries past. Suddenly, a wave crashes through the window and sweeps her away, filling the library with water, animals and of course the ever-growing coral. As the illustrations carry this magical story, the text presents straightforward nonfiction narration about the ecosystem of coral reefs. The information is clear, but without typical features of nonfiction text like section headings, captions and definitions, the text is best for children who are already quite familiar with the topic. All readers, however, will be enchanted and engrossed by Chin’s vibrant, detailed watercolors. The rich hues, dominated by the turquoise water and the colorful fish, pull readers into the ocean world.
February 12, 2012
Jason Chin has done it again. He's created another great title to add to your nonfiction bookshelf. This time he's taken us from the redwood forest to under the sea in his latest book, Coral Reefs. Again, Chin offers readers informative text and beautiful, imaginative illustrations. In Coral Reefs, a young girl enters the New York Public Library, pulls a book about coral reefs off the shelf and finds herself in the undersea world she's reading about. The text is straight nonfiction, while the illustrations offer the reader a healthy dose of magical realism. I love the idea of text coming alive for readers and Chin has done a beautiful job of capturing the beauty of the reefs. His text, however, is not as creative as his illustrations. Nonetheless, this title is an example of how creative nonfiction can be, while still providing readers with great information!
October 11, 2012
Having dived on coral reefs around the Cayman Islands and being a librarian made this a near perfect book for me. I found it a wonderful combination of a story about the magic of reading, a library book that magically transports a girl underwater to a coral reef, and information - where she witnesses the inhabitants and relationships of these "aquatic cities:" food chains, schooling, adaptations, symbiosis, filter feeding... A page at the end discusses the "Threat to Coral Reefs" and how children can help. Another page discusses the remarkable relationship between coral and algae and gives some coral reef facts.
April 18, 2018
This book, like Redwoods and Island has so much to recommend it on different levels: science, imagination, a library, detailed pencil sketches, whimsey, and immersive drawings. I love how Chin launches from a book being pulled off the library shelf—actually the book we’re holding. From there, the sea comingles with the library and our explorer is hooked. This isn’t an easy reader—there is a fair amount of text—but young listeners who can stick with or be enchanted by he details will be rewarded. This could be a nice companion to an aquarium visit. Chin also makes good use of his appendices to provide more info as launching points.
November 19, 2011
Using the same style as his previous nonfiction book, REDWOODS, Jason Chin presents information about coral reefs. The strength of this book is in the beautiful illustrations - as the young protagonist gets more and more engrossed in a book about coral reefs, the reef appears all around her until she's swimming through the ocean, checking out all the animals. The large blocks of text may turn off browsing readers, though the book does include enough information for reports. While the format was innovative in REDWOODS, I'm suffering from some been-there-done-that syndrome with this title.
September 22, 2012
This is a well-written book about coral reefs and how a little girl becomes so engrossed in the book she actually slips down into the ocean and discovers the reefs herself. The illustrations are bright and colorful. The facts are informative and interesting. At the end of the book is information on how the reefs are threatened and why their existence is important. This book is for all ages of children.
December 9, 2011
Beautiful!! Jason Chin illustrates a young reader's journey to a coral reef. An interesting, fun, and informative tour through coral reefs. The perfect read aloud for third and fourth graders learning about ocean life. Readers will certainly want time to inspect the fabulously detailed illustrations. I thought I knew about coral reefs and I learned something new too!
October 27, 2011
Like Redwoods, this is a fabulous informational book and also a wonderful depiction of books capturing a reader's imagination.
December 21, 2011
I'm looking forward to Mr. Chin covering every subject under the sun. I love the facts mixed with the creative illustrations!
January 31, 2013
The illustrations are realistic and gorgeous; the information suitable for primary grade students; the end papers have sketches of various fish and coral, with their names and lengths included.
February 17, 2017
Not extraordinary. Could be a lot clearer with identifications.
December 13, 2011
This is a hard book to review -- hard even for me to form an opinion about. I think the number one thing it calls to my attention is that it's very, very hard to both write and illustrate a children's book.
It's not that it can't be done -- the solo works of Dr. Seuss, Lillian Hoban, and Eric Carle, just to name a few, show that a singular vision can produce books of breathtaking imagination and beauty. But far too often, someone who tries to handle both creative parts simply proves that he or she is much better at one than the other. That's unfortunately the case with this book.
Jason Chin is a stunningly impressive artist. His detailed, textured watercolors are beautiful to look at, and do honor and justice to his aquatic subjects. Additionally, in this volume, the pictures tell a story -- a story of a young girl who goes to the library, selects this very same book about coral reefs, and, as she reads, is transported beneath the waves to see and imagine the creatures that live there. It's elegantly done, and I took real joy in the art.
The prose -- ah, the prose is the problem. It's dreadfully clunky, oddly repetitious, and inconsistent in the reading level of its vocabulary. It doesn't even hit the Bobbie Kalman level of workmanlike competence. Other reviewers have complained about the didacticism, and I found that irritating too, but it's not just that it's didactic -- it's that it lacks smoothness and grace.
I give it four stars, because I think the art is more good than the prose is bad. I'd love to see a book such as this win an award like the Caldecott. But it isn't a classic because of the text, and that's a real shame. In the future, I'd love to see Chin collaborate with a writer, and see if his next work couldn't reach that rarified status.
It's not that it can't be done -- the solo works of Dr. Seuss, Lillian Hoban, and Eric Carle, just to name a few, show that a singular vision can produce books of breathtaking imagination and beauty. But far too often, someone who tries to handle both creative parts simply proves that he or she is much better at one than the other. That's unfortunately the case with this book.
Jason Chin is a stunningly impressive artist. His detailed, textured watercolors are beautiful to look at, and do honor and justice to his aquatic subjects. Additionally, in this volume, the pictures tell a story -- a story of a young girl who goes to the library, selects this very same book about coral reefs, and, as she reads, is transported beneath the waves to see and imagine the creatures that live there. It's elegantly done, and I took real joy in the art.
The prose -- ah, the prose is the problem. It's dreadfully clunky, oddly repetitious, and inconsistent in the reading level of its vocabulary. It doesn't even hit the Bobbie Kalman level of workmanlike competence. Other reviewers have complained about the didacticism, and I found that irritating too, but it's not just that it's didactic -- it's that it lacks smoothness and grace.
I give it four stars, because I think the art is more good than the prose is bad. I'd love to see a book such as this win an award like the Caldecott. But it isn't a classic because of the text, and that's a real shame. In the future, I'd love to see Chin collaborate with a writer, and see if his next work couldn't reach that rarified status.
Read
October 9, 2012 Coral Reefs is a great introduction into the nonfiction, educational, informational genre in that it’s still a picture book at its core, as we can tell right away from the title page. We have an unnamed protagonist who walks us through finding and reading Coral Reefs herself from the confines of a library. But quickly each page of our Coral Reefs begins to grow into a wet, colorful coral reef; winding along the path of our young blonde reader as she walks and reads. Her face is expressive, especially her face of shock as she learns that coral spreads and creates a natural, underwater building (pp. 4 and 5). The vivid illustrations invite the little girl into the underwater world, as she floats among the sea creatures with her book in hand. I find the pages where the illustrations are broken up into panels to have the best connection to the text, while other full-page illustrations could have been more pertinent in representing the facts. For example, on page 2, the readers learn about the coral’s polyps retracting for protection, but the picture doesn’t show this. But in terms of depth, the pictures that take place in the library are astoundingly detailed, with each binding titled. The text is factual and a little over the heads of readers as not all species are fully described. Overall this job does a great job at presenting nonfiction books to beginner readings by maintaining a plot (our protagonists journey of reading through the book) and picture book feel. The incorporation of the setting within the girls imagination and outside in the last few pages is especially powerful, just like the girl sharing her experience is on the final page.
March 30, 2014
TED 8650 Children's Literature
Twin Text: Beach Feet by Kiyomi Konogaya, 2012
Rationale: Coral Reefs and Beach Feet are paired together because they are both about the ocean. Beach Feet is about a boy discovering the shore. Coral Reefs is about a girl discovering the coral reef. These books together cover discovering both the land and the water areas.
Text Structure: Coral Reefs has description and comparison and contrast. This book gives extensive details on the structure and the creation of the coral reef. It covers predator and prey relationships and symbiotic relationships. It talks about a few of the adaptations that some animals have. It also discusses the vast variety of life. The end of the book mentions the threats to the coral reef and what you can do to help. There are a few more facts located in the back as well. The author's note and more resources are also in the back of the book.
Strategy Application: Before reading these books, students can create a word web with ocean in the center. Branching out can be the topics of coral reef, animal relationships, adaptations, things to find, etc. During and after reading, students can verify their answers and new branches and ideas to the web.
Book review citation for Non-Fiction Book:
(2011, October 1). School Library Journal. http://www.booksinprint2.com.leo.lib....#
Twin Text: Beach Feet by Kiyomi Konogaya, 2012
Rationale: Coral Reefs and Beach Feet are paired together because they are both about the ocean. Beach Feet is about a boy discovering the shore. Coral Reefs is about a girl discovering the coral reef. These books together cover discovering both the land and the water areas.
Text Structure: Coral Reefs has description and comparison and contrast. This book gives extensive details on the structure and the creation of the coral reef. It covers predator and prey relationships and symbiotic relationships. It talks about a few of the adaptations that some animals have. It also discusses the vast variety of life. The end of the book mentions the threats to the coral reef and what you can do to help. There are a few more facts located in the back as well. The author's note and more resources are also in the back of the book.
Strategy Application: Before reading these books, students can create a word web with ocean in the center. Branching out can be the topics of coral reef, animal relationships, adaptations, things to find, etc. During and after reading, students can verify their answers and new branches and ideas to the web.
Book review citation for Non-Fiction Book:
(2011, October 1). School Library Journal. http://www.booksinprint2.com.leo.lib....#
June 7, 2016
Chin, J. (2011). Coral reefs. New York: Roaring Brook Press.
Through vivid and realistic images of the creatures that make up one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, readers explore different species that live on coral reefs. Before that begins, we are introduced to the foundation of all coral reefs- the coral. Through each creature and level on the food chain, we get information about what that particular species does for the ecosystem. The pictures are very realistic and gives the reader a good image of what the creatures look like. I also liked how the illustrator made it seems as thought the reader who pulled out the book in the story is slowly submerged and sees the reef for themselves. I love reefs, and I really lied being able to learn a little bit more about the creatures who rely on reefs. I also liked how the author made sure make the reader aware of the dangers coral reefs face nowadays and how important it is that we keep them alive and healthy. These would be good lessons to show to students, in order to make them aware of the crisis our oceans are facing and the importance o their survival to the rest of the world.
Through vivid and realistic images of the creatures that make up one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, readers explore different species that live on coral reefs. Before that begins, we are introduced to the foundation of all coral reefs- the coral. Through each creature and level on the food chain, we get information about what that particular species does for the ecosystem. The pictures are very realistic and gives the reader a good image of what the creatures look like. I also liked how the illustrator made it seems as thought the reader who pulled out the book in the story is slowly submerged and sees the reef for themselves. I love reefs, and I really lied being able to learn a little bit more about the creatures who rely on reefs. I also liked how the author made sure make the reader aware of the dangers coral reefs face nowadays and how important it is that we keep them alive and healthy. These would be good lessons to show to students, in order to make them aware of the crisis our oceans are facing and the importance o their survival to the rest of the world.
May 17, 2017
Chin takes us on another magical and informative journey in Coral Reefs. Much like the amazing Redwoods, it starts with a child picking up the very book that we are reading, and becoming "transported" into the world of the topic. As the little girl moves through the library, coral begins to sprout up around her, until a flood sweeps her off her feet, filling the place with water and creatures. Chin's text is conversational, doling out bits of information about things the girl sees as she encounters them. The journey provides a loose narrative framework, and the setting of city/ocean helps connect us to this world. This is made all the more easier thanks to the beautiful art. While the setup is surreal, the denizens of the deep are portrayed with a great deal of realism in detail and colour. The end papers also feature and name all the various creatures in sketches for the curious. Additional information and sources about coral reefs are provided in the back. Chin does a wonderful job of creating eye catching, engaging informational books for children, and this one is no exception.
December 21, 2011
This book is gorgeous, that pretty much covers it. The illustrations take the reader on a journey over and around a coral reef. Even without the words, I could easily follow the story. I love the idea of a book taking the reader on a journey to somewhere they may never be able to go in real life. This suits my lifestyle of armchair adventuring. The text does add a great deal of information, a little too much for a read-a-loud I discovered, especially when the students kept interrupting to share things they knew. The students definitely found the bright and colorful illustrations appealing, as did I. It took some of the students a little time to figure out why the coral reef was growing in a building, but once they figured it out they really got into it. This is a great book for sharing, there is so much to share and talk about. I highly recommend it for those who have any interest in the natural world. If you haven't read Chin's Redwoods as well, I recommend that one also.
Read
December 8, 2016This book is about the coral reef and the ocean. A girl picks this book from the library, but as she begins to read it she finds herself inside the book experiences the coral reefs. A coral reef is an underwater city made of coral with fish, seahorses, sharks and sea turtles. In this book, you find out about what a coral reef is and about the food chain and the partnerships in the reefs. They also discuss the sandy area between the reef and the shore, the lagoon. We also learn about many species who have adapted to survive in this environment. The illustrations for this book are very pretty and takes the reader on a fun adventure exploring the reefs. I would say this is for younger reading level, maybe kindergarten to second grade. Any kids that are interested in the coral reefs would love this book. It could easily be incorporated into a lesson about the under water world.
March 4, 2018
We enjoyed the Redwoods book by Jason Chin, so we decided to try this one.
Again, it is a longer book, text wise, and it has a lot of information about coral reefs. Because of the length I would recommend it for elementary students- not so much for preschoolers.
It's creative non-fiction in that the little girl starts off in the city (at the library) and ends up in the coral reefs just by looking at this book, but the content is factual.
The kids enjoyed this book. They learned interesting facts about coral reefs.
The art is fantastic.
I would recommend this book for kids who like science and ocean- themed books. It would also work if discussing ocean life and life cycles & ecosystems in class.
Again, it is a longer book, text wise, and it has a lot of information about coral reefs. Because of the length I would recommend it for elementary students- not so much for preschoolers.
It's creative non-fiction in that the little girl starts off in the city (at the library) and ends up in the coral reefs just by looking at this book, but the content is factual.
The kids enjoyed this book. They learned interesting facts about coral reefs.
The art is fantastic.
I would recommend this book for kids who like science and ocean- themed books. It would also work if discussing ocean life and life cycles & ecosystems in class.
July 21, 2013
love the artwork!
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