Far from Shore: Chronicles of an Open Ocean Voyage – Discovering Whales, Dolphins, and Ocean Wildlife Through Science for Kids

by Sophie Webb

In extremely deep waters (two miles deep), the vast sea appears empty. But as naturalist and artist Sophie Webb shows us, it is full of fascinating—yet difficult to study—life. Together with her shipmates, Sophie counts and collects samples of life in the deep ocean, from seabirds to dolphins, from winged fish to whales. Only their long-term field work can really help scientists determine the health of these remarkable creatures who need the clean deep ocean to survive.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Nature, Animals, Childrens, Read For School, Environment

80 pages, Hardcover

First published June 13, 2011

Reviews

[Abbyb · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the book Far from Shore by Sophie Webb a non-fiction bock about Sophie Webb a biologist that

[Allison Gehrke]

“Far from Shore: Chronicles of an Open Ocean Voyage” written and illustrated by Sophie Webb tells the story of Sophie Webb and her co-workers on their four-month long journey doing research on the marine animals that they see. This book’s illustrations perfectly depict what it is like to live on a ship like that for that long. Webb does not try to paint a picture that it was amazing and the easiest job ever. She talks about how sometimes it would be hours before they see a marine animal and that they just have to sit there and wait. She also talks about how long and lonely the trip is. She mentions how much she misses her friends and family a couple times, and she also points out that they have to work on holidays. What I loved about this book were the illustrations. At one point they come across a whale on their trip, and to make it realistic Webb uses both pages to depict the size of the whale compared to their tiny boat. This book would be a great thing to show students when discussing the ocean and they types of creatures that live in it.

[Lady reading under the Willow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Sophie Webb's books!!

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

We enjoyed this one. It’s not particularly conducive for reading aloud, unless one can have all the listeners nearby to see the illustrations, which are beautiful and add greatly to the book.

[Tanya Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!!!!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Amber Bush · Rating 3 out of 5]

Webb, S. (2011). Far from shore: Chronicles of an open ocean voyage. HMH Books for Young Readers.

NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books

Informational

This book is in the form of a diary entry that includes scientific inquiry, observations, documentation, findings, etc… from an ocean explorer. Readers follow her adventures as she sails out around the deep waters of the ocean to learn about all there is about the marine ecosystem. This is a fantastic book that I would love to use in my classroom. Scientific inquiry is such an important aspect of learning science and is a skill that is revisited throughout a person’s entire life. By having this book in the format of a journal entry, this a great way to model to students what real scientists does when they are in the field. After reading this book to the class, I would set up a similar exercise where each student had their own science journal. Using the book, I would remind students what she included in her journal entries and I would set up explorations outside during the school day. For instance, we could go outside and measure the amount of birds that we see fly near the playground, or observe how the clouds change, etc…I would also use this book to simply teach the concept of oceanography and conservation. There are several standards that relate to marine life, especially in the VA SOL’s. I truly enjoyed this book and could go on and on about using this book in my classroom.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Far From Shore: Chronicles of an Open Ocean Voyage" by Sophie Webb is a chronological picture book about the author's journey with her shipmates to explore the ocean. Sophie and her shipmates dedicate their time and energy to collect samples of undersea life for research. The colorful and detailed illustrations include scientific information, maps, and a glossary of terms which give readers a glimpse of a life of a scientist and naturalist. Although she focuses a lot on seabirds, she also introduces other sea creatures like dolphins, fish, and whales. My fiction twin text to pair with this book is called, "The Magic School Bus on the Ocean Floor" by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen. Ms. Frizzle takes her class on a submarine expedition into the deep waters of the ocean. With a little imagination, this book takes readers on a fun and entertaining journey. Readers can pretend to put their scuba gear on, travel in the submarine, or swim along a coral reef while learning about ocean life. Both of these stories focus on the topic of the ocean and introduce information about the creatures that live under the sea. These will be beneficial with teaching science in any curriculum from a professional or creative and fun point-of-view.

[Jordan Cummings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Far from Shore: Chronicles of an Open Voyage follows the journey of the author, Sohpie Webb, and her shipmates exploring the ocean and the creatures that surround it. This book shows them collecting samples of deep ocean life through journal entries. It gives the reader a good idea of what it is like to be a scientist. Each journal entry is described in great detail; whether it is about fish, birds, or whales, the reader feels very informed after each one. The information is mostly about the health of the animals and how the ocean ecosystem functions. It is an inspiring book that provides children with great information and real-life depictions about what it takes to be a scientist.

As a recommended book for the 2012 Orbis Pictus award, I think Far from Shore: Chronicles of an Open Voyage deserved to be an honorary book at the least. I thought that it fit the criteria perfectly. The facts were completely accurate and very interesting as well. The book was organized and was easy to follow. The design and style were also terrific. The pictures were very lifelike and colorful. Not one page was the same yet they all came together in a very unifying way.

[Bailey Huylar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Far From Shore has a perfect balance of fact and theory—while facts are given about the seabirds and marine mammals Sophie observes, the reader also gets to look at Sophie’s drawings of what she assumes life looks like underwater. Webb is very qualified to write this particular book since it is based on her own trip among a research ship. Overall, the book takes on a broad scope—while it is made clear that Sophie’s focus is on birds, the reader is also introduced to other animals and their characteristics. The fictional illustrations compliment the text and add a colorful, fun element to the story. Also, some pictures are added just for the reader’s enjoyment such as Sophie’s art supplies and pictures of her making observations. There are also illustrations on every page which makes the text less overwhelming and more kid-friendly. All together, this book includes over 90 pictures! It is a great book to introduce non-fiction to children!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Watercolor, gouache, and graphite illustrations enliven this wonderful journal from a Pacific Ocean journey spanning July to December. Sophie Webb's text and drawings remind readers that there is much life beneath the sea as well as creatures that depend on the sea for their livelihood. Her job on this science mission is to record the number of seabirds and make note of the effect of purse-seine fishing on dolphins. I felt as though I were onboard with the 37 others making this information-gathering cruise. The book contains graphs, charts, and notes as well as easy-to-understand language that makes the science at the heart of this voyage interesting to just about any reader. She includes a glossary, but I longed for a page with additional resources. Once you get young readers excited about a topic, it's great if you can send them to other books or websites.

[Ashley Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audience: I would recommend this book to boys and girls ages 9-up. The ocean lover, wild bird lover and animal scientist would enjoy this read.

Appeal:Written from the perspective of the author Sophie Webb, she documents her work as a field biologist and a naturalist who specializes in birds. She wrote this book so clever that it won't even feel as though your reading a book, more of a diary. The entire book is very detail orientated, which helped me out immensely. The colorful artwork is kid friendly and describes the ocean life all in itself. At the end of the book there is a glossary/index that will help younger readers to despiser any words they were unsure of while reading. I really enjoyed this book and hope others will as well.

Award List: NCTE Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children-Recommended Book 2012

[Daniele Merrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

When it comes to informational books, this book has got to be one of my favorites. The book is pretty long, but it really brings you through Sophie’s journey as a biologist and researcher. I loved the fact that she takes you step by step through what she does during her job and how it is accomplished. Not only that, but she teaches you about the equipment she uses, the animals she encounters, and how she takes down her data. The entire book is about the ocean and how she is trying to understand the dolphin populations, which makes the story even more exciting. Not only is she telling you about her job, but she is also trying to solve a mystery. I would definitely use this book in any of my classrooms because it teaches people, not just children, about what it’s like to be a bioligist in the ocean. It’s also really fun to look through the pictures and learn random facts.

[RC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Far from Shore follows the naturalist and artist as she explores deep waters. While the vast ocean appears empty, the book shows the reader that it is actually teeming with life. This study in marine biology shows the difficulty of studying such life. This work shows the diversity of life in the ocean and the importance of maintaining the environment in order for these animals to survive.

By connecting the beautiful art to the fascinating science, this book will appeal to older readers and adults. It would also be a great read-aloud with an older kid. The gorgeous illustrations and interesting facts make this an exercise in synergy for art and science. The exciting story draws the reader in and the message of the book with stay with readers young and old alike.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is for a girl or boy who is in the grade 4 to 8. This is about a field biologist, a naturalist specializes in birds, and artist by the name of Sophie Webb who goes on a four month journey on a boat in the Tropical Pacific Ocean. Sophie and her shipmates also try to collect samples of life for scientists who are trying to clean the deep ocean, so the marine mammals and seabirds can survive by knowing the health conditions from the live samples.

The pictures are bright in color and the book also gives captions to each picture on every page describing or telling what the picture means.

NCTE Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children 2012

[Matthew West · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book that follows the adventures of a girl named Sophie during her four-month Journey at sea. The main educational topics of the book are top sea level creatures such as dolphins and seabirds, but included are definitions of all sort of scientific tools and what life at sea might be like. All of the facts are intertwined in a very well written story which helps keep your interest not only on all the cool facts but also what will happen next during Sophie's journey. This is a great book to read when you want to take a different direction away from the conventional textbook type nonfiction books.

[Donalyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This diary chronicles Sophie Webb's six month expedition to study Eastern Pacific Ocean animal life as part of her work with NOAA. Webb's work as a scientist informs her writing and makes her a credible source about ocean life. Includes Webb's drawings, detailed scientific information, and a glossary of terms. An engaging nonfiction work for children who are interested in the ocean or becoming a scientist.

[Elizabeth Finney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit dry for me, but the pictures pretty and the subject interesting - a scientist/bird watcher out at sea for months. Not a whole lot happens, so the book is basically a description of what she does, and the wildlife at sea - the right kid is going to love this book and pore over it. All of her entries are labeled with her longitude and latitude, so that would be fun when studying that at school.

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I shelve juvenile non-fiction as a volunteer at my town's library. I am a northern California ex-pat living in far northern Minnesota and I miss the ocean. This book caught my eye. It is filled with lovely water color renditions of what the author observed on her months-long voyage. And I learned a lot...including that the author lives in the tiny mountain town where I raised my children. Some of the best books for adults can be found in the children's section of your local library:)

[Stacy Ford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sophie Webb's account of a four month journey at sea to study seabirds and marine mammals in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP) is engaging. The illustrations liven the narrative and provide insight into what is happening. The text is easy to follow. Includes a glossary with an index of terms.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the personal journal style of her journey in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean. She paints wonderfully detailed pictures of the fish and sea mammals she encounters on the trip. The illustrations of the people are surprisingly not as good. I enjoyed this foray into a true world I know not much about.

[Jessica Jackson]

I really enjoyed reading this book! It was full of really great facts, but was written to appeal to a younger elementary school audience. This book is one of those books that while your reading it, you are not realizing that you are actually learning, but you are! I would definitely include this book in my classroom.I can't forget to mention how great the illustrations are as well!

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This remarkable book is the chronicle of author/illustrator/naturalist Sophie Webb's four month voyage on the McArthur II. She and her fellow scientists, which included marine biologists, birders, and oceanographers, studied dolphins, as well as other marine life the encountered. Her color paintings, maps and charts are on every page.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is kind of a neat book. It is written in journal form, but not a daily journal. It is written by a biologist who is out on a ship making observations of birds and dolphins for 4 months in the southern pacific ocean. Sohpie Webb also wrote My Season with Penguins. It kind of makes me wish I were a biologist.

[Clay]

Reviewed in the Times today, this book by a former Sibert Honor winner, looks beautiful.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

beautiful artwork high lighting important places in our country.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous illustrations and this book has just the right combination of factual information, without being overwhelming.

[Emerson and Theodore · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not really a children's book but he loves it. He laughs at every mention on the boobies.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging and informative scientific adventure.