Tiny Floating Coral

K-Gr 3–Readers learn all about coral and its importance to ocean life from the ­viewpoint of a tiny coral planula. Two levels of text make this book appealing for a range of ages. The youngest readers follow the main narrative as the planula speaks; this text appears in larger letters that also make the book easy to use as a read-aloud. For older or more curious readers, further ­details are shown in smaller type and expand on the basic facts. Illustrations capture the many facets of ocean life that affect or depend on coral. Some spreads are scenes fully immersed in color, while others use spot illustrations on a white background to display various types of coral or how the planula changes shape during metamorphosis. ­Labels identify the parts of a coral polyp or point out the algae that live within the coral. One striking illustration shows coral spawning under a full moon; the gametes appear as tiny bubbles rising through the black water. Another spread shows divers helping maintain a reef. A final large foldout includes a map with reef locations, a coral life cycle ­illustration, and a list of ­animals in the book to locate as an I Spy game.