Surrounded By Sea: Life on a New England Fishing Island

by Gail Gibbons

Discover what life is like season by season when you're surrounded by the sea. See the ferry that brings people and supplies to the island and the fisherman preparing their nets for the summer fishing season. Learn about the significance of buoys, the workings of lobster traps, and the variety of boats you can see from the shore.

Genres: Geography, Picture Books, Nonfiction, Childrens, Science

32 pages, Paperback

Published January 3, 2006

About the author

From gailgibbons.com: I was born in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1944. Even as a little child, I was always busy putting books together. Sometimes I would bind them with yarn to hold the pages together. I've always loved drawing and painting. I was also a very curious child. My parents tell me that I was always asking lots and lots of questions.

Later, I went on to the University of Illinois, where I studied graphic design. Then I moved to New York City, where I got a job doing artwork for television shows. Eventually I was asked to do the artwork for a children's show. While doing that show, some of the children asked me if I had ever thought of doing children's books. My mind immediately recalled how much I enjoyed doing that type of thing when I was a child. So I put an idea for a book together and right away a publisher bought it. That book was called Willy and His Wheel Wagon. Since then, over 170 books that I have written and illustrated have been published. The type of books I write are non-fiction books. This is because I love researching so much. I get to ask lots of questions, just like when I was a kid. I also get to travel and meet lots of interesting people. While doing research for my book Nature's Green Umbrella: Tropical Rain Forests, I traveled to two islands where there are tropical rain forests, Saba and Dominica. I also had a great time writing and illustrating the book. I get a lot of pleasure from doing the type of work I do.

Reviews

[Anchi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kids and I loved the illustrations. We spent time discussing what’s in the pictures. Kids were glued to the story as they learn about lives of people living on the fishing island all year round. Points of discussions about the ocean zones where different fishes or marine lives live so nets or traps are different.

[Kira Asay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative about what life is like in a Mew England fishing village. Beautiful illustrations!

[Kristiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a favorite of Gibbons. It’s fine, there’s nothing wrong with it. It just seems to fall flat on the informative side, and it’s not cute enough to make up for it.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book with great illustrations that show the lifestyles of the people on a small New England fishing island. This book is informational, and shows a lot about the fishing industry. I enjoyed the pages that actually show how fish are caught and which nets and traps are used.

[Rachel Rouleau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and informative nonfiction book. Probably best for ages 4 and older.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this one aloud unearthed my (mostly) long buried accent.