Sea Soup: Zooplankton

by Mary M. Cerullo, Bill Curtsinger (Photographer)

* Notable Books for Children, Smithsonian *
* Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children―Children’s Book Council/NSTA *
* Honor Book, Society of School Librarians International *

How do we learn about animals that are tiny enough to slip through the eye of a needle? Mary Cerullo’s text answers intriguing questions about these tiny ocean creatures, while Bill Curtsinger’s extraordinary photographs serve up tantalizing images of an amazing “sea soup.” What is the fastest animal in the world? What can dive as deep as a whale or make a submarine disappear in the ocean? The answer is zooplankton! The ocean is teeming with these small, drifting animals that come in all shapes ands sizes, from tiny zippy copepods to large, brilliantly colored jellyfish (that you don't want to bump into). There are some very strange zooplankton, like the arrow worm -- you can see what it had for lunch inside its stomach! Some zooplankton give off a ghostly underwater glow, and others are poisonous, like the sea wasp, a jellyfish that has killed more swimmers of Queensland in northern Australia than the great white shark. Some zooplankton are "temporary" zooplankton, drifting along on ocean currents when they are young, but turning into fish or crustaceans when they grow up and swim on their own.  Other zooplankton and zooplankton all their lives -- or until they get eaten! Zooplankton are an important meal in the ocean food web.  A single blue whale may devour up to eight tons of shrimp-like krill a day.  That's a big serving of sea soup! Bill Curtsinger's extraordinary photography brings us right into the watery world of zooplankton, while Mary Cerullo's lively text answers our questions about these fascinating ocean creatures.

Genres: Science, Middle Grade, Nonfiction, Nature, Picture Books

40 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2001

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

A companion volume to Cerullo and Curtsinger's Sea Soup: Phytoplankton , which explored the floating plant life of the oceans, this informative picture-book is devoted to the zooplankton - the floating marine animals - from tiny krill to massive jellyfish. The distinction between temporary and permanent zooplankton - the former including pretty much any sea animal in its larval stage - the dangers of contact with certain species (box jellyfish, anyone?), and the speed of movement and depth of diving that some species can attain, are all covered.

As in their other marine-themed picture-books, Cerullo and Curtsinger provide an engaging mix of informative text and fascinating photographs in Sea Soup: Zooplankton, a book that will appeal to young marine biologists everywhere. A glossary is included at the rear, as well as a list of further sources. Teachers might also want to take a look at the Sea Soup Teacher's Guide: Discovering the Watery World of Phytoplankton and Zooplankton .

[Bri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sea Soup: Zooplankton introduces readers to the various forms of the organism. From the moment you open this book, stunning underwater images greet you. The layout is very attractive, and catches your eye immediately. There's splashes of color, vibrant photos in bubbles, but it still flows well, so you get all the information at an easy pace.


The opening starts off as if fiction and the letters cascade down the side of the page, a visual representation of a diver's descent down below:

"The moment they dropped into the dark,alien world, the searchers knew they were not alone. - (p.2, Sea Soup: Zooplankton)


The book talks directly to the reader, asking questions, inviting the reader to explore the world of the zooplankton. On one page, it's stark white, and in the middle, a bright colorful photo of a a jellyfish and the text, "Who's who in a zoo plankton zoo?" or "Are there zooplankton you don't ever want to bump into?" The corresponding pages then answer the question. This theme continues throughout the book, always engaging the reader into a discussion.

Reference wise, Sea Soup: Zooplankton packs a lot into a thin book. Sizes, their diets, the life cycles, and the various types of zooplankton are covered. Prior to reading this book, my plankton knowledge involved Spongebob Squarepants, and this book definitely filled in the gaps. There's a glossary and even an additional teacher's guide available from the publisher, for those who want more information.

This review originally published on BriMeetsBooks.com

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great pictures, would like more information.

[Rick Hurst]

This is a child's book. I did not realize that until I purchased. If you are expecting something substantial about Zooplankton then this book is not for you.