Scholastic Atlas of Oceans
When I think of an atlas, I think of a book of maps of continents and islands. Thus, the title, "Scholastic Atlas of Oceans" caught my attention. I looked inside with interest and was immediately caught up with the page titles. For example, the introductory page is called "Portrait of the Oceans." Once again, my perspective is altered. I have always thought that a portrait was a painting of a living person, illustrating the individual's unique features. I read on: "Every sea and ocean on our planet has a unique shape and character." Already the oceans were starting to take shape in my mind and I was now beginning to accept another interpretation of the terms "atlas" and "portrait."
The atlas begins with the world's largest ocean. To impress the reader with the concept of its immense size, a sidebar shows a sphere, like the earth, and divides it into the ocean's portions. The sidebar is introduced with the fact that the five oceans are really one large body of water encircling the bodies of land known as continents. Second fact: the Pacific Ocean, the largest of the five oceans, takes up 46 percent of the earth's surface. Wow! These facts on their own are impressive; but stated and illustrated as they are on this page are enough to impress any young reader.
The atlas continues to impress the reader as it covers interesting trivia of all five oceans. It talks about life on the ocean's floor, the animals and the plant life that it describes as the ocean's gardens. It talks about the early explorers and the explorers of the twentieth and twenty-first century who studied the ocean from its surface, and via submarines to its depths. It also talks about the influence of space exploration on our understanding of the oceans.
This is a very thorough and fascinating book. It is colourful and well laid out. An excellent read.
