Inviting and varied shades of blue form the backdrop of Sara Anderson’s “panoramic” view of the ocean offered in this picture book. They provide a rich, sometimes mysterious backdrop for the many creatures of the sea that inhabit its pages. “Under indigo swells / in cerulean seas . . . ” begins the author/artist’s poem cataloging a wide variety of life in the oceans and on the shore. Short, lyrical bridges introduce each new litany of creatures. An author’s note indicates Anderson was not intending to describe any one specific biosphere. Her approach was artful rather than scientific, and she has succeeded in creating a delightful visual and verbal experience for young children. (Ages 3–7)

Start at the tips of the foamy waves, where the sun glints off the water, and go down to the depths of the sea, where the eel's phosphorescence glows in the dark with otherworldly intensity. Below the waves, there are to be seen, among a myriad of living creatures, the octopus, the snail, and the angelfish. Deeper still are the whales, the lobsters, and the sticklebacks. Resting on the floor are barnacles, pompanos, and eels. Returning to the surface, there are still more magnificently depicted examples of sea lifeuntil the sunny beach and golden sand beckon.

A journey through the ocean is imaginatively plumbed in words and pictures. Informative, clear, and graphically lovely, readers of all ages who dive into this book will never look at the sea in quite the same way.