Miss Jane Book Review: A JOURNEY UNDER THE SEA

A JOURNEY UNDER THE SEA

Written by: Craig Foster & Ross Frylinck

Publisher: Harper Collins

Ages: 4 to 7

For those who have enjoyed Foster and Frylinck’s Oscar winning Netflix documentary My Octopus Teacher, get ready to love this collaborative work in a new book for children, A Journey Under the Sea.

In poetic, figurative language, the reader embarks on a journey to the depths of this watery world and discovers a fascinating web of marine life. 

From the startling cover photograph of an octopus announcing its presence to the undersea world, to the vibrant endpaper images of a dynamic kelp forest seemingly in motion, this book fascinates as it informs, with photographs so amazing, the reader will wonder if they are “real” or doctored with computer wizardry. 

On a two-page spread you will stare into the eyes of the tiny rockfish, followed by images of the octopus using tools as she hides behind fronds and shells to deceive predators. We meet an  enormous hunter, the cow shark.  Cow sharks are even older than the dinosaurs, and have made a home in these waters for more than 400 million years.  Pyjama sharks, cuttlefish and sea hares are among the astonishing creatures you will meet up close in these pages.  

With a lyrical, evocative text, readers learn about the treasures of this Great African Seaforest at the tip of South Africa.  For young readers, this is a book to browse and savor and read and read again.  For those who want more detail than the travelogue approach offers, the back matter provides additional photographs and fascinating facts. 

A truly gorgeous book, this would make a treasured gift; a treat for the eyes, mind and imagination.