This is the Sea
that Feeds us
Illustrations by Don Dyen
Beginning with tiny plankton, "floating free," this book explores the ocean's fabulous food chain that reaches all the way to whales and human beings in an intricate web. Each verse introduces a new link in the food chain and connects it to the rest of marine life.
The unsung heroes of this story are the plankton who do one of the biggest jobs in the world. Here, they create a saltwater banquet for fishes and snails, birds and whales, and a grateful family of humans.
The verse portion of this book is aimed at ages 4 to 8, but the accompanying scientific notes make it appealing for children up to about 11.
Like waves, this book's repeating rhymes delight the ear, its inspiring illustrations delight the eye, and its vigorous verse delights the mind.
"A beautiful example of how we are all connected. The book links a fish dinner to the interdependence of all the creatures of the sea. Written in cumulative verse, each verse introduces a new link that connects to everything else... and so on and so on and so on."
-- Embracing the Child (website)
"A lively and very attractive travelogue, in verse, about the life under the sea. Baldwin is a nature writer who's spent a lifetime on the water and who has a nice way with a phase - 'The roaring wind and the booming gale/thrilled the girl with the sandy pail/who caught the shrimp as small as a snail...' The illustrations by nature artist Don Dyen are terrific - full-page, in warm tones with plenty of informational detail. This is a neat book to stuff in the backpack on the way to the shore with the kids."
-- Newark Star-Ledger
Several readers have sung the praises of the book at Amazon.com.