Into The A, B, Sea: An Ocean Alphabet Book

by Deborah Lee Rose, Steve Jenkins (Illustrator)

Brilliant artwork captures an array of sea creatures from A to Z in this lively alphabet book which integrates language play, natural science, and beautiful illustrations.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Storytime, Nonfiction, Science, Science Nature

40 pages, Hardcover

Published September 1, 2000

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun rhyming ABC book set in the sea! The author covers an impressive array of sea creatures, from small plankton to whales, from mammals to birds to fish. The collage illustrations, while perhaps not my perfect cup of tea, are colorful and engaging. While the ABC story is suitable for young children, there is more detailed information about each sea creature in the back of the book to benefit older kids.

[Savannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great for so many different things. It an alphabet that has an animal representation for each letter of the alphabet. The book also rhymes which you could use to foster phonemic awareness or make word families. The illustrations in the book make it ease to push all thos other things to the side and just enjoy the pictures.

[Consuelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is appropriate fr Kindergartners.

Into The A, B, Sea: An Ocean Alphabet Book by Deborah Lee Rose captivates the world of the sea for children. The playful verse is charming and the paper-collage illustrations are astonishing. This is a beautiful alphabet book and perfect for any early learner.

This is a nice and simple take on alphabet books. This book is very easy to follow and to look at the pictures. There is not a crazy amount of color to distract you from the words. The alphabet words are simple and creative.

I would use this book for when I am teaching the alphabet and want to show what the letter looks like, how it sounds, and what kind of words would have that letter and why. I would also use this book for a lesson on animals that live in different environments.

[Taylor Hartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Copyright: 2000
Number of pages: 32
Book format: print
Reading level: Pre-K, 1-2; GR level L
Genre: non-fiction
Lit requirement: alphabet book 1

Into the A, B, Sea by Deborah Lee Rose introduces young readers to the alphabet by using sea creatures to go through each letter. At the end, there is a double-spread dedicated to facts on each creature that was listed in the book.

I rated this book five-stars because I thought it was an interesting and enjoyable way to introduce the alphabet to young readers. The pictures contain a lot of texture which give the creatures life-like details.

[Jackie Sisley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Into The A, B, Sea: An Ocean Alphabet Book is a book that takes children through the alphabet one ocean creature at a time. One of my favorite things about this book is that it is not your typical A, B, C book; this book rhymes as it makes its way through the alphabet! the rhyme scheme is short, fun, and engaging and the limited amount of text makes it a short read, which is important in young children's literature. The pictures are beautiful and captivating as well. The book explores not only the ocean habitat as a whole, but also some its more individual facets as it visits the artic, deep sea, and beach. This is a great alphabet choice for lovers of science and rhyme alike!

[Arnela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a little more than just an A/B/C book. It's a poem that walks you through the kinds of animals that can hang out in the sea, alphabetically. The art is very nice, it's short and simple, a quick read for those kids that are still building their attention spans for longer stories.

I especially love that there's animal facts in the back of the book. I love learning about animals, and I know kids do too.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This marine life alphabet book combines signature Steve Jenkins illustrations with simple text to appeal to pre-school and lower elementary readers. Use also to support grammar lessons about verbs.
The choice of font may make this a less accessible choice for beginning readers. Back matter supplies more details about the creatures featured in the book; the font is tiny and will likely require an adult to read for the intended audience.

[Emily Lisowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Into the A, B, Sea is a clever way to teach both the alphabet and animals at the same time. The collage style illustrations are different and colorful as well. Although it is probably meant for younger children, it still includes details about the animals for more of a challenge read, and also includes more detailed facts in the back for those who want to learn more.

[Alexandria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully illustrated alphabet book that uses sea animals as the representations of the letters. There's also a page in the back that gives a little more information about each species mentioned. It's a cute book that will (hopefully) help get kids interested in both the ABC's and marine life.

[Divya Gangadin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personally I love the ocean, so reading this book was an automatic love for me . I enjoyed how much real life examples of the ocean were given for each letter in the alphabet. It is also a great book to use when reviewing the alphabet, or even introducing marine life to children.

[Kylie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid rhyming ocean themed alphabet book. Realistic paper cut illustrations and a good balance of 'expected' and unique animals represented. Additional information about the animals is located at the end of the book.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

The preschool storytime kids loved looking at each page. The pictures are such a cool ripped paper design. Each animals just seems to jump off the page at you. *Also, we all learned what an "umbrellamouth" is. A fun read!

[Julie Cardillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title Into the A,B, Sea
Author: Deborah Lee Rose
Illustrator: Steve Jenkins
Genre: Alphabet
Theme(s): Animals, Fish, Ocean, Alphabet, Rhyme
Opening line/sentence: “Swim into the ocean waves with me and dive into the A, B, Sea.”

Brief Book Summary:
This underwater story teaches young readers the Alphabet in a fun, catchy way. Each letter of the alphabet accompanies an animal or living thing that is found in the ocean.

Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Gillian Engberg (Booklist, Sep. 15, 2000 (Vol. 97, No. 2))
Richly textured paper collages and simple, rhyming text will encourage young readers to learn this alphabet of sea life. From anemones to zooplankton, the author introduces sea flora and fauna, first in rhymed couplets filled with appealing action words and then in a concluding section that offers a few facts about each entry. Although the text's rhythm and rhyme will sweep listeners along, younger children will most likely need an adult's help with the appended facts. Readers of all ages, however, will be drawn to Jenkins' beautiful collages of brilliantly colored paper layered in uncluttered compositions. An attractive introduction for children with deep-sea curiosity and for use across the curriculum. Category: Books for the Young--Nonfiction. 2000, Scholastic, $15.95. Ages 4-8.
(PUBLISHER: Scholastic Press (New York:), PUBLISHED: 2000.)

Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature)
The letters of the alphabet offer a chance to introduce a wide variety of creatures from the sea, each named as involved in an activity, one per double-page. More detailed descriptions of each are given at the end of the book. But more important is the opportunity Jenkins takes to use a wide variety of cut and torn papers to create double-page scenes that combine fishy facts with esthetic elegance. Even the granite-skinned tiger shark looks a bit less frightening in a mottled, blue rice paper sea. Every creation is here to delight us and to be admired. 2000, Scholastic Press, $15.95. Ages 3 to 7.
(PUBLISHER: Scholastic Press (New York:), PUBLISHED: 2000.)

Response to Two Professional Reviews:
Each review agrees that the paper-like collages of each illustration make this story enticing and welcoming to the reader. I agree with the first review that early readers might need the support of an adult to understand what some of the creatures are. I think that all three of us can agree that this story makes learning the alphabet a enjoyable, rhythmic experience!
Evaluation of Literary Elements:
The use of rhyme and repetition make learning the alphabet easy for young readers. The illustrations support the text, so that the reader can see what each creature of the alphabet looks like. Although there really is no plot, children will enjoy learning about various creatures of the sea, while learning their ABCs!
Consideration of Instructional Application:
For my classroom, I would use this story to inspire my students to come up with their own list of sea creatures that go from A to Z. Also, I can turn this into a artful experience by assigning each of my students a letter and have them make a tissue paper sea animal that starts with that letter.
 

[Ashlin Edmisten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great alphabet book that familiarizes children with animals. Excellent discussion piece.

[Anneke Alnatour · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 4-year-old picked this one up from the school library, and he loved it. I enjoyed the illustrations, and short text. It was great for what it was, and that can be amazing on its own.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations are gorgeous and captivating.The prose are beautiful. Vocabulary is high but correct.

[Themountainbookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

We enjoyed reading this. Not your average ABC book. We also enjoyed how the pages flow together. This is great to lightly expose children to different sea creatures.

[Debra Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very unique ABC book in that all of the letters were related to the sea somehow, N is for narwhal. The pictures were created using paper over paper. The pictures were very vibrant and left the reader wanting more.

At the end of the book the author was very smart to include more details about each animal that was mentioned in the book. This way the reader can learn more information about the animals talked about in the book.

sea creatures, ABC Age recommendation 6-10

[Leigh Chickering · Rating 5 out of 5]

Into the A, B, Sea goes through the alphabet while exploring the animals of the ocean. It says what each animal is doing in the ocean in alphabetical order.

I loved this book because I thought it was a very clever way to go through the alphabet and very engaging and eye catching to children. The illustrations are really cute and I think that it is very educational because it has a fact sheet on the back.

I would use this in a kindergarten class and do a writing lesson off of it. We would read together and then write about an animal they learned about. This also helps go over the ABCs in a new way.

[Kelcie Hoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my FAVORITE alphabet book I read! It was so unique and adorable. Each letter corresponded to something in the sea that was that letter. (A-anemones, etc). I like how the pages were very plain and looked as though they were crumpled up paper designs. In the back of the books also, there is a more in-depth description of the sea creatures shown and discussed. Some pages are full vertical spreads, some are full horizontal spreads; I am just a true fan of the diversity. I know children love the sea, so as a kindergarten teacher I would use this book during an ocean themed week, and still use the letters in the book to help with their familiarity of those letters. I would have them choose which creature they liked best in the book, and what letter the creature's title started with. Then they would do their own illustration of the creature and their favorite thing about that creature.

[Jrowe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rose, D. L. (2000). Into The A, B, Sea: An Ocean Alphabet Book. New York. Scholastic Press.

Alphabet Book

"Into The A, B, Sea: An Ocean Alphabet Book" presents the alphabet in the context of the sea using sea animals and environmental elements as examples of each letter. This is an alphabet book that would be enjoyed by any age child, but would have to be read aloud with explanation to be accessible to younger children. Children ages 8-12 would be the best audience for this text. The font is more stylistic and unique than that which would be used in books for much younger children. Images are full page and spread across the midline of the book causing each page turn to result in a large image; a lap full of art. This is an attractive book with fantastic illustrations complimented by a glossary of sea life information at the end.

[Gen · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I would like to say that I loved the ocean when I was a child, therefore this book has a special connection to my heart. The text in this picture book is easy-to-understand, yet filled with incredible word choice. This is not like a typical children's A,B,C book. It is very detailed in both the text and the illustrations. There are some fun rhymes involved and at the end of the book, there are definitions describing each animal that was featured. The paper-collage images are eye-appealing and make you want to stare at the pages for a longer time than you usually would. You can truly explore the aquatic ocean just by reading each page in A,B,Sea. It's not only great for little children but older kids too since some of the words are informative and detailed.

[Shaquita · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun way to introduce the alphabets, by teaching
the animals and other living things in the ocean to the children. This book is full of color and rhymes. I think children will love diving into the sea and learning their ABCs. Not only will the children learn their alphabets though, they will also learn about different animals and plants in the ocean.

Learning Experience: I will make a word ring that will have all of the vocabulary from the book, so that children can practice their vocabulary; this will also allow the children to get to know the actual names of things (animals and plants) in the ocean. I will also make a bullentin board that is similar to the book; the board will be used to help children learn the alphabets of the ocean.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well rhymed sparse text that depicts in colorful illustrations some of the creatures who live in the sea. I loved the illustrations for the gray whale, the humpback whale and the blue whale used for w and x showing whales exhaling. No wonder the illustrations are great they are done by Steve Jenkins. Beautiful November 2017

Did a reread of this title and found it as fascinating as it was the first time I read it. Two things I noticed this time is for all of the animals illustrated there is a three page description of the various sea creatures entitled More about the A, B, Sea.
Also Peter Jenkins did these illustrations using collage. Read this one to your children before a trip to the beach.

[Lauren Derosa]

I thought that this book was written very well. I really enjoyed how they made this an ABC book by putting a letter of the alphabet into each sentence, going in order. It is very different than the other ABC books I have read, and it makes it seem like an older reader would enjoy this book. Another aspect I enjoyed was how each sentence in the book was about a different fish in the sea, so each page has a huge picture of that one animal. I also liked that this book was an ocean theme and it stuck to that one theme. The colorful pictures and unique font makes this a very fun book to read!

[Caitlin Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Into The A,B, Sea by Deborah Lee Rose. The book lists different things that live in the ocean in alphabetical order. I loved the concept and the alliteration that is occasionally used. The style of the illustrations was so cute and the colors were very vibrant. The end of the book even contains a glossary that gives more detail about every animal that is listed in the book. I loved this book. It would be a great book to have in the classroom when learning about the ocean!

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Checked this out for my 5-year-old who is technically "past" the ABC books....but he wanted something with sea life and the library didn't have much else. We enjoyed the book and the paper-cut illustrations were lovely, but it wasn't what he wanted. As an ABC book it's fairly subtle - sometimes you'd almost miss the letter you were trying to learn. I don't know that I'd use it to teach the alphabet if I had another child to teach. Worth a read, but perhaps not a book you need to own.

[Ashlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Into The A, B, Sea is a children's beginner book by Deborah Lee Rose. This book includes 26 different animals in which each animal begins with a different letter of the alphabet. This is a great book because it not only helps the children learn their letters but it gives them a description of an animal to learn with that letter. The illustrations in this book grabs the children's attention. I will use this book in my classroom to help students learn their ABC's.

[Mikayla Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book it tells you about different animals in the sea, by using the alphabet. It takes you from A to Z telling you about creatures that crawl, swim, cling, prance, and prey.

I really like the adjectives used to describe the animals in this book. The illustrations were also very nice.

This book would be good if you were going to talk the ocean or animals in the ocean. It has some rhyming that would be good for students too.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has really gorgeous pictures, and it's been a big hit the last few times I've read it for storytime. The alphabet angle is actually fairly subtle, so you can play it up as much or as little as you want. There's also some great vocabulary (like "slumber" and "lumber") that lends itself to fun explanatory asides.