Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef
Author, Marianne Berke, engages children's math, music, science and listening skills in this beautifully illustrated rhyming book. As a storyteller, I found this book a useful tool to motivate my preschoolers in counting - holding up fingers and acting out what the creatures in the sea do -flutter, graze, skitter, grunt, etc. "What does the Clownfish do?" I'd ask. Putting their hands together in a praying mode, the children act out the fish darting here and there. And there are finger plays that go with each sea creature mentioned.
Older children will particularly enjoy the tips from both the author and the artist (Jeannette Canyon) at the back of the book. Included, is additional factual information about the ten sea creatures mentioned in the story.
