This is the story of the birth of an island, from the first red-hot glow of magma at the bottom of the ocean, to the flowing lava that hardens and builds up higher and higher until, finally, it breaks through the water's surface.
And then, life comes to the island. First come the small plants and animals, and later, people. This is a tale as old-and as new-as the ground we walk on.
Children's Literature - Ken Marantz
In the briefest of concise rhymes, a few words per page, Schaefer details how over time, bit by bit, an island rises out of the sea. As trees and plants begin to grow from seeds, insects and birds arrive, followed by ships and people. A community soon develops, with its shops and celebrations. And then, from "deep beneath the sea, a volcano blows, and lava flows. Another island grows." Very simplified paper collages tell the visual story in ways that parallel the words. The abstract shapes are designed to demonstrate the potency of a volcanic explosion, the peaceful emergence of early plants, the jubilation of the dancing islanders, and the activities in the community. More specific details on how volcanic islands grow is added at the end, along with a list of other sources.
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2-This deceptively simple picture book traces the development of an island from an undersea volcanic eruption to a lush, bustling homeland. Similar in format and style to Schaefer's This Is the Sunflower (Greenwillow, 2000), it has large print and uses poetic language to describe a natural phenomenon: "Waves pound./Sands mound." The colorful, bold collage illustrations are a perfect complement to the text. Like the narration, the seemingly elementary art is carefully composed, tells a complete story, and exudes energy. This appealing work can be used as a read-aloud, a beginning reader, or a basic science book. Isaac Nadeau's Islands (Rosen, 2006) and Angela Royston's Islands (Heinemann Library, 2004) cover the same topic in a traditional nonfiction series format.-Heide Piehler, Shorewood Public Library, WI Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
A volcano forms under the ocean, erupts to form land, erodes and acquires flora, fauna and eventually human population. This highly simplified explanation of island formation attempts to distill complicated geologic processes into rhyming couplets for the youngest reader, often using no more than two words on a page. Colorful cut-paper collages illustrate the text and seem to set the story in the Caribbean, although the suggested follow-up reading is about Iceland, Hawaii and the Galapagos. Inevitably, the simplification leads to distortions and omissions. The pictures, for example, show lava pillows mounding up from the ocean surface and suddenly becoming sharp rocks. Perhaps for the sake of the rhyme, trees grow before the flowers, and birds arrive even later, although, in fact, as explained in the afterword, the birds help bring the seeds for the new island's vegetation. Introduce this science topic to readers capable of taking in greater detail. (Picture book/nonfiction. 4-7)
Read More
