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  • Over and Under the Coral Reef (Over and Under)

Over and Under the Coral Reef
(Over and Under)

Author
Kate Messner
Illustrator
Christopher Silas Neal
Publication Date
August 26, 2025
Genre / Grade Band
Non-fiction /  2nd − 3rd
Language
English
Format
Picture Book
Over and Under the Coral Reef (Over and Under)
Description

Discover the colorful wonder of the Caribbean in this fascinating and beautiful exploration of the coral reef from the New York Times bestselling author and award-winning illustrator of the beloved Over and Under series!

Part of the acclaimed nature book series that includes Over and Under the Pond, Over and Under the Wetland, and Over and Under the Snow, this volume takes readers on a journey into the colorful and lively coral reef of Grand Cayman in the Caribbean.

Over the reef, terns circle and frigate birds soar. Sea turtles paddle and balloonfish float through the sparkling waves. But under the reef's arms, where nurse sharks prowl the seafloor and octopuses slip away into shadows, there waits a living rainbow of peacock flounders and blue damselfish, pink anemones and creamy conch shells. Discover the dazzling world just beneath the waves--over and under the coral reef.

ENCHANTING AND EDUCATIONAL: A charming story and dazzling illustrations invite readers of all ages to explore and learn about the reef, with waters full of coral and animals that are as lively as they are lovely to see--and full of secrets to fire up young readers' curiosity!

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS MADE WONDERFUL: Preservation of our wilderness--and especially of our coral reefs--is essential, and this book makes a great, upbeat jumping-off point for discussions of the importance and wonder of our world's natural habitats and ecosystems.

GREAT SET OF NATURE BOOKS FOR KIDS: Acclaimed author and artist Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal have made dozens of beloved and critically acclaimed books. The entire Over and Under series--including Snow, Garden, Pond, Rainforest, Canyon, Waves, Wetland and more to come--is a joy to read and a wonderful addition to any classroom or home library.

Perfect for:

  • Fans of the Over and Under series and The Brilliant Deep
  • Parents, grandparents, and caregivers looking for a book about nature to share with kids
  • Teachers, educators, and librarians seeking beautiful nonfiction books with STEM content
  • Anyone seeking a distinctive gift for an animal- or nature-loving child
Publication date
August 26, 2025
Genre
Non-fiction
Page Count
60
ISBN-13
9781797225357
Lexile Measure
850
Publisher
Chronicle Books
Series
Over and Under
BISAC categories
JNF051100 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Environmental Science & Ecosystems
JNF003000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Animals | General
Library of Congress categories
Coral reef ecology
Coral reef animals
Coral reef biology

Kirkus

Starred Review

This engaging book renders the reef mesmerizing. An enchanting work that will delight young readers and undoubtedly spur requests for Caribbean summer vacations.

Kate Messner
Kate Messner is a New York Times bestselling author of more than fifty books for young readers, including The Next President, the Over and Under series, the History Smashers series, and more. Kate is the recipient of the Empire State Award for excellence in literature for young people. Her science-themed picture books have been honored with the Green Earth Book Award, the Riverby Award for natural history writing, and have been finalists for the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru SB&F prize for excellence in science writing. A former middle school teacher, Kate splits her time between Lake Champlain and Florida's Gulf Coast. Learn more at www.katemessner.com.

Julia Kuo is the author and illustrator of Let's Do Everything and Nothing and the illustrator of I Am An American: The Wong Kim Ark Story, I Dream of Popo, and more. She also enjoys making editorial illustrations, which have appeared in publications like the New York Times, The Economist, and Vox Media. For more, visit www.juliakuo.com.
More books like this
Other Books In Series:

Over and Under

Over and Under the Snow (Over and Under)
Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt (Over and Under)
Over and Under the Pond (Over and Under)
Over and Under the Rainforest (Over and Under)
Over and Under the Canyon (Over and Under)
Over and Under the Waves (Over and Under)
Over and Under the Coral Reef (Over and Under)
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