THE TIDE POOL WAITS

What can you find in a tide pool?

The author of the Sibert Medal–winning picture book Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera (2020) introduces young readers to the delights and wonders of a Pacific coastal tide pool. Intriguingly, the story begins before the frontmatter—introductory text and illustrations portraying a tidal cycle lead to, and then seamlessly incorporate, the book’s title page. Fleming names some of the creatures who wait in the tide pool for the ocean waves to return: “clusters of barnacles,” “beds of mussels,” “patches of sponge,” and sundry other invertebrates as well as fish. Descriptive verbs abound: a kelp crab “idles”; a rock crab “scoots.” At high tide, “everything is busy. / All brim with life,” until the water recedes and quiet returns. Hevron’s harmonious acrylic paint–and-pencil illustrations perfectly pair with Fleming’s gentle, lyrical text. The marine creatures are clearly depicted, stylized but recognizable. The octopus and sea cucumber hiding under rocks at low tide are out and about in the water during high tide. The backmatter includes an illustrated guide to the species shown throughout the artwork—offering the opportunity for a seek-and-find—and an annotated diagram showing their habitats. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A delightful look at a unique aquatic environment that will nourish children’s natural sense of wonder.