Published by Greenwillow Books

Summary:  Oceans cover 71 percent of the Earth, and contain 97 percent of Earth’s water.  Almost four of ten people live within 60 miles of an ocean.  Those are a few of the facts about oceans you’ll learn in this book, which is relevant even if you’re not one of those four out of ten.  The oceans affect our weather, drinking water, and food supply.  Plants in the ocean provide oxygen for the air we breathe.  And, of course, humans are doing an outstanding job of messing up the oceans with pollution and overfishing.  But even small deeds done to protect the oceans can have an impact.  Includes additional information on phytoplankton, the water cycle, aquifers, and what you can do to help the oceans.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A fun and accessible introduction to the ocean with interesting facts and lively illustrations.  I wasn’t familiar with this author-illustrator team, but it looks like they’ve written a couple of other interesting science books as well.

Cons:  Trying to cover such an enormous topic in a picture book is challenging, and there are some facts (“The ocean is NOT a major source of drinking water–it’s way too salty!”) that may leave kids wanting more of an explanation.  Some additional resources would have been helpful for this.

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Published by Little Bigfoot

Summary:  In January, 2002, an orca calf was discovered by herself near Seattle.  Scientists could tell from her dialect that she was from a pod that lives near Vancouver Island.  Using photos from that pod, they identified her as Springer, a two-year-old female.  Springer was too malnourished to be transported that distance, so scientists began a program of rehabilitation, trying to interact with her as little as possible so she could be reintroduced to her pod.  Six months later, she was healthy enough to travel, and made the trip to Dong Chong Bay in Canada, where she was welcomed by a group of First Nations people and two bald eagles.  It took awhile, but Springer eventually reconnected with her pod and was adopted by a female cousin.  Fourteen years later, in 2016, Springer was spotted again, this time with a calf of her own, whom scientists named Spirit.  48 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  Kids will fall in love with Springer and root for her to get back to her family.  They’ll also learn about the painstaking work scientists do to learn about orcas.  This would make a nice companion to A Whale of the Wild, the new book by Rosanne Parry.

Cons:  While I liked the illustrations, the predominantly blue, black, and white palette didn’t make for a very eye-catching cover.

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