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I, Sea: A Tale Told in Homonyms
A playful tale about homonyms and the power of perspective
Told through the repetition of two sounds, this delightful pirate adventure is also a clever lesson on words that sound the same, or are spelled the same, but have different meanings.
A swashbuckling tabby and their crabby first mate are enjoying a day on the water when―“Eye! Sea!”―a wave crashes against their ship and something gets in the captain’s eye. The two companions visit the optometrist, where the cat reads out the letters I and C during an eye test. The eye doctor explains, “Eye. See?” and teaches the pirate how to put on an eyepatch. By the end of the book, readers will shout “I see!” as it’s revealed that the whole story was part of a child’s bathtub playtime.
This charming ode to language and imagination is illustrated in Ashley Barron’s iconic cut-paper collage artwork. Read aloud, it will spark conversation and exclamation as young kids discover the whimsy of word play.
- GenresPicture Books
24 pages, Hardcover
Published April 15, 2023
About the author
Suzanne Sutherland
9 books25 followersSuzanne Sutherland (she/her) is the author of a number of books for young people, including the Jordan and Max series. Jordan and Max, Field Trip! was named a Children's Book Council Librarian Favorite and a CCBC Best Book for Kids & Teens. She lives in Toronto with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 6, 2023
In a Nutshell: Doesn’t fulfil the promised potential. But has gorgeous artwork.
Through the experiences of a pirate tabby cat and his first-mate crab, we see varied situations where the titular homonyms are used. The ending turns the tale on its head, revealing it to be a child’s bath-time fun story.
The varied contexts in which the homonyms are used is quite clever, and works for the intent. I also appreciate the introductory note that explains the meaning of the word ‘homonym.’
The art style is quite unusual. All illustrations appear like cut-paper collage work, giving a unique appearance to every page. I am sure the physical copy will bring out the effect of the style even more.
But…
The story is supposed to be an exploration of homonyms – words that sound the same or are spelt the same, but mean different things. However, the entire book worked on only two homonym pairs: variants of I/Eye and sea/see. Having only two sounds throughout the book makes the plot (if I can call it that) somewhat repetitive.
Here’s the dilemma. The approach being so overly simplistic means that it won’t be a hit with older kids – they might find the book boring. However, the theme being based on words and spellings means that it won’t be a hit with younger kids as well – they might find the book difficult. So whom do I recommend it to?
I guess little ones could pick this up for a basic lesson on homonyms and for some outstanding artwork. It might work better in schools, where group discussion about the two homonym pairs will surely enliven the otherwise straightforward writing.
3 stars.
My thanks to Owlkids Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “I, Sea”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Through the experiences of a pirate tabby cat and his first-mate crab, we see varied situations where the titular homonyms are used. The ending turns the tale on its head, revealing it to be a child’s bath-time fun story.
The varied contexts in which the homonyms are used is quite clever, and works for the intent. I also appreciate the introductory note that explains the meaning of the word ‘homonym.’
The art style is quite unusual. All illustrations appear like cut-paper collage work, giving a unique appearance to every page. I am sure the physical copy will bring out the effect of the style even more.
But…
The story is supposed to be an exploration of homonyms – words that sound the same or are spelt the same, but mean different things. However, the entire book worked on only two homonym pairs: variants of I/Eye and sea/see. Having only two sounds throughout the book makes the plot (if I can call it that) somewhat repetitive.
Here’s the dilemma. The approach being so overly simplistic means that it won’t be a hit with older kids – they might find the book boring. However, the theme being based on words and spellings means that it won’t be a hit with younger kids as well – they might find the book difficult. So whom do I recommend it to?
I guess little ones could pick this up for a basic lesson on homonyms and for some outstanding artwork. It might work better in schools, where group discussion about the two homonym pairs will surely enliven the otherwise straightforward writing.
3 stars.
My thanks to Owlkids Books and NetGalley for the DRC of “I, Sea”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
———————————————
Connect with me through:
My Blog | The StoryGraph | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
February 12, 2023
The art in this book is absolutely stunning! Once I finished reading I had to go back and flip through just to enjoy the vibrant colors and lively energy on each page. The concept is neat and could spark a good conversation with kids about homonyms, but I had expected there to be more variety in the text, instead of just working with variations of two words. Still, this would be an engaging and fun read to help reinforce the concepts of homonyms and creative expression.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!
May 10, 2023
3.7 Stars (high ratings exclusively for the art)
I, Sea is a short book where a teeny story about a pirate is told using two homonyms, I and Sea. I really like the concept of the book and its presentation. As an adult, it is fun to guess which words would be used next and how the story will go ahead. I’m not too sure if little ones will be that interested in the concept.
The book should work better for slightly older kids, though they might want something more than variations of just two sounds. However…
The illustrations are wonderful. I don’t know what the style is called but it is absolutely amazing. I’ve been imagining how the illustrations would pop out in the physical copy and have different textures to suit the storyline.
Each page looks like it has colored art paper cut into shapes and glued in layers to create a textured feeling. So you have pictures that stand out in 3D (with soft shadows on the sides) and look like a perfectly done school project.
The color scheme is bright, cheerful, and vibrant. I could go through the book just to trace the detailing on each page. The tiger (kitty) has a crab, maybe as a pet or friend, and that little crab manages to give several expressions over the pages. How cool is that?
We also have a doctor elephant (a darling) and some aquatic animals flaunting their colors toward the end.
To summarize, I, Sea has a cool concept (from an adult perspective) and some wow illustrations you have to see. Grab this book for those pictures (I hope the physical copy has textured pages).
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Owlkids Books and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#ISea #NetGalley
I, Sea is a short book where a teeny story about a pirate is told using two homonyms, I and Sea. I really like the concept of the book and its presentation. As an adult, it is fun to guess which words would be used next and how the story will go ahead. I’m not too sure if little ones will be that interested in the concept.
The book should work better for slightly older kids, though they might want something more than variations of just two sounds. However…
The illustrations are wonderful. I don’t know what the style is called but it is absolutely amazing. I’ve been imagining how the illustrations would pop out in the physical copy and have different textures to suit the storyline.
Each page looks like it has colored art paper cut into shapes and glued in layers to create a textured feeling. So you have pictures that stand out in 3D (with soft shadows on the sides) and look like a perfectly done school project.
The color scheme is bright, cheerful, and vibrant. I could go through the book just to trace the detailing on each page. The tiger (kitty) has a crab, maybe as a pet or friend, and that little crab manages to give several expressions over the pages. How cool is that?
We also have a doctor elephant (a darling) and some aquatic animals flaunting their colors toward the end.
To summarize, I, Sea has a cool concept (from an adult perspective) and some wow illustrations you have to see. Grab this book for those pictures (I hope the physical copy has textured pages).
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Owlkids Books and am voluntarily leaving a review.
#ISea #NetGalley
September 13, 2024
I really enjoyed finding this book! Simple on the surface with the whole story being told through two sounds (I, Sea/Eye Sea, I...C... when the character visits the optometrist and takes an eye exam because sea water gets into his eyes... and a few other variations) -- truly a wonderful story is told with these two syllables with fantastic art to match! Honestly it made my evening.
Probably not a great choice for a storytime just due to the fact that it's something that would be good for kids who are working on reading skills specifically, and it's a book worth spending some time with..... which isn't really what storytime is about. but I cannot reiterate enough.... I loved this.
Probably not a great choice for a storytime just due to the fact that it's something that would be good for kids who are working on reading skills specifically, and it's a book worth spending some time with..... which isn't really what storytime is about. but I cannot reiterate enough.... I loved this.
March 29, 2023
Adorably illustrated but missed the mark for my kindergarten kiddo.
This was lovely to look at, but my kiddo didn’t really understand the content fully. It might be better for an older child but in that case the illustrations/design might not match up with the level because it does seem to be for young children.
This was lovely to look at, but my kiddo didn’t really understand the content fully. It might be better for an older child but in that case the illustrations/design might not match up with the level because it does seem to be for young children.
April 5, 2023
Reasonably clever, but that doesn't exactly mean it's enjoyable. This has a very reduced script, for a reason, as all the text can be had as homonyms of "eye, sea". It's more of a love letter to a quirk of grammar than an engaging story. The fabric and paper collage of the visuals makes for a distinctive look, but this is too much of a novelty for me to really recommend it.
April 2, 2023
A playful introduction to this language concept cheerfully illustrated in cut-paper collage.
July 26, 2023
A fun and clever story to illustrate the concept of homonyms.
Also a good example of paper collage.
Appropriate for early elementary readers/listeners.
Also a good example of paper collage.
Appropriate for early elementary readers/listeners.
July 30, 2023
A story told using only the homonyms for I and Sea. Love the art.
September 26, 2023
Cute book, but probably wouldn't work in Storytime.
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July 24, 2024I enjoyed the illustrations in this title, especially those depicting the sea and sea creatures. Collage seemed to be the artistic technique used to create the illustrations.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews