Colorful, Captivating Coral Reefs

by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent, Kendahl Jan Jubb (Illustrator)

Coral reefs are among the most dazzling sights in nature. The colorful corals that compose them are breathtaking-- but these habitats are more than just beautiful. They are teeming with wildlife. Brilliantly colored fish with wild shapes and patterns swim in and out of every cranny. Algae help reefs stay alive, and other creatures, such as eels and octopuses, lurk among the corals waiting for prey.

In their fifth collaboration, Dorothy Hinshaw Patent and Kendahl Jan Jubb use clear prose and vivid watercolors to reveal the workings of these dynamic and beautiful ecosystems-- from how reefs develop to the wide variety of creatures that inhabit them.

Genres: Nature

40 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2003

About the author

As a child, my favorite activity was exploring nature, especially finding animals like frogs, toads, and lizards. I kept tropical fish, had a dog, and loved riding horses. My love of animals led to a Ph.D. degree from U.C. Berkley in Zoology. In grad school I met and married fellow student Greg Patent. Our two sons, David and Jason, were born before we finished school. I wanted to use my training and my knowledge, but I also wanted to raise my sons and be there for them when they needed me. I decided that writing the kind of books I'd always loved reading was a good solution to my dilemma, and that turned out to be true. One of my favorite things is learning new "stuff," and every time I tackle a new book project I get to indulge myself in that passion. I'm a lucky gal!

Fast forward to the present. Our sons are grown and have their own families. We live in Missoula, MT, where Greg is now a food writer (http://www.thebakingwizard.com) and a radio personality (httpp://www.mtpr.org--look for Food Guys). My writing has expanded to other nonfiction topics, especially ones dealing with the Westward Expansion period of U.S. history. I've taught writing classes in many venues, visited schools in most U.S. states, attended many conferences for teachers and librarians, won a number of awards, and had great travel adventures in pursuit of my subject matter.

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally quite good picture book introduction to coral reefs, including types of coral and the fish and other marine life that inhabit the reef. Unfortunately, there is no Bibliography and I also found the last several pages of the book too heavy and bleak for the target audience regarding the human-caused danger and destruction to the coral reefs -- there is a brief section at the end mentioning what governments and other organizations are doing to help, but I would have also liked more about what children can do to help.

[Maggie Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Colorful Captivating Coral reefs, I would love to look at the little flap in the beginning of the book where it describes the dazzling sights and breathtaking shapes. The first page shows a map of the world and all the coral reefs and their respective locations. I think this image is truly powerful because it's not everyday that you get to see a coral reef. I truly love this book, but it would have to be a reading book for older readers. I would have this book in my library of the classroom because it would be a good browsing book for my students when they do not have any work to work on at the moment. The one thing I do not like about this book is that it does not give definitions of the vocabulary throughout the book. This book is fun and engaging for students because they can find fun facts throughout the book. There are little white bolded words that name animals or algae shown throughout the book. As an activity, I would love to explore the aquarium as a field trip. This helps the students get to see water creatures in person and learn more from the workers at the aquarium.

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Filled with colors and beautiful images, this book will be sure to capture students in wanting to learn more about coral reefs. This book gives a substantial amount of information about coral reefs regarding location, types of coral reefs, their benefits, and types of animals that live in coral reefs. It is great for doing informational writing, especially in grades 5-6. Students can pick a specific coral reef to further research on. With construction paper, students can also even create a diagram of a certain type of coral reef, labeling its features and the fish breed that lives there.

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personal Response- I chose this book because I love the ocean and animals. The paintings are captivating with their bright colors all over the pages. The book provides a lot of detailed information in an interesting way that students would enjoy.

Purpose in the Classroom- Third graders would enjoy this book because it explains challenging words in the text and the illustrations are interesting to look at. I would not give this book to younger grades unless they were at a higher reading level because of the amount of scientific vocabulary that could be confusing. This book would be a good independent read during an ocean unit, as for projects on animals in the ocean (coral reefs are living animals). The book could also be used during a discussion on Earth Day because it provides information on protecting coral reefs and global warming. Nonfiction conventions used are an index with scientific names and page numbers, bold faced type, labels of the species next to the coral and fish, and a diagram of how coral cells divide.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

We read this at the same time we read 24 Hours Coral Reef and One Small Square Coral Reefs. This book had most of the same information with a few additional things that made it really cool.

The pictures here are bright paintings and aren't really good for identification. You'd need to pair it with actual pictures.

I was all for absolutely loving this book, but the last few pages were all about how evil man is and how destructive we are and how global warming is destroying everything. I'm all for taking care of the planet and doing what you can to 'live green', but I do not appreciate these things in children's books. I hate the indoctrination of certain subjects to the young. So, we skipped those parts. I do talk with the kids about pollution and global warming, but I like it to be on my terms, not given as "the truth" by someone set up as "the authority" (the author).

So, this is a great book, but if you're like me use it with caution.

[Sarah A · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a beautifully illustrated book all about the coral reefs of the world. However as an introductory book about coral reefs, it is extremely wordy and long winded!