Book Descriptions
for The Hidden Forest by Jeannie Baker
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
The title refers to underwater kelp forests that grow in the shallow ocean waters off the coasts of North and South America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. Jeannie Baker’s three-dimensional collages use natural materials such as sponges, seaweed, and sand to create a realistic sense of the underwater world young Ben explores with Sophie, an experienced diver. There is a strong ecological message here. Fisherman Ben comes to appreciate the creatures in the hidden forest “where they belong.” (Ages 4-8)
CCBC Choices 2001. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2001. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
Jeannie Baker, renowned the world over for her stunningly intricate collage constructions, presents another insightful ecological lesson, this time focusing her keen eye on one of the earth's last unexplored frontiers, the sea. When he loses his fish trap on the bottom of the bay, Ben fears what forms of ocean life may lurk beneath his rowboat--until Sophie introduces her reluctant friend to the hidden splendor of what he's been missing: Giant Kelp, a myriad of fish, and the colossal surprise of coming eye-to-eye with a whale! Award: Children's Books 2000-NY Public Lib.
Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.