Underwater Counting

K-Gr 3-Featuring increasing numbers of fish and other ocean dwellers, this colorful book counts from 0 all the way up to 50. Single- and double-page spreads introduce each numeral and show the corresponding number of underwater creatures, along with short paragraphs of anecdotal information presented in a chatty, sometimes humorous style. For example, Pallotta's description of two coral groupers reads: "If you were this fish, people would say you had measles, chicken pox, or really cute freckles." In addition to manta rays, parrotfish, leopard sharks, and many other eye-catching species, there are also whale lice, elasmosaurs (ocean reptiles that lived at the time of the dinosaurs), and fishing bats. The realistic artwork, done in Adobe Photoshop, shows dusky underwater scenes. Some of the illustrations are quite striking; in one, a moray eel looks straight at readers with an intense blue-eyed gaze, and in another, large sailfish leap gracefully above the ocean's surface. Unfortunately, some of the images seem to have slightly blurred edges. As the numbers increase, counting the objects becomes more difficult, as the fish are very small, partially hidden, or mere shadows. Providing only sketchy information, this offering may appeal to browsers interested in aquatic wildlife or to sharp-eyed kids who enjoy the challenge of searching illustrations for minute details.-Joy Fleishhacker, formerly at School Library Journal Copyright 2001 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.