Water Beds: Sleeping In the Ocean

by Gail Langer Karwoski, Connie McLennan (Illustrator)

Overview

Tuck your little ones into bed with this soothing, restful story. Youngsters meet ten marine mammals, including sea otters and bottlenose dolphins, manatees and harbor seals, humpback whales and walruses, and learn about each animal's unique sleeping habits. Although the brief portraits are based on up-to-date scientific research, author Gail Langer Karwoski weaves the facts into simple, poetic language. Connie McLennan's rich oil paintings capture the ocean's habitats and its appealing creatures. The story invites children to drift into a peaceful sleep on the gentle waves of imagination. The "Creative Minds" section includes information about what makes an animal a mammal, focusing on marine mammals in particular and includes a create-your-own marine mammal craft using adaptations for their watery habitat.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780976494317
Publisher:	Arbordale Publishing
Publication date:	08/20/2005
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD880L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

Editorial Reviews

"Water Beds is a book that dives into the many mysteries of animal sleep with illustrations that are a dream come true. It's a great way to introduce youngsters to the variety of sleeping patterns found in marine animals ranging from killer whales to sea otters to walruses. A wonderful bed time story...perfect for inspiring dreams on the beauty of the oceans."
—Sea World Adventure Parks, Corporate Vice President, Zoological Operations

Brad Andrews

"This is an amazing book on many levels. First and foremost it is a beautifully illustrated, with soothing prose bedtime book. It is also educational. Doesn't every child, and adult too, wonder how the fishes and marine animals sleep? It is explained simply for the kids and more detailed for the adults in the Preface. There is also the fun parts in the back of the book. For Creative Minds explain more about mammals, especially Marine Mammals. The Make Your Own Marine Mammal Using Adaptations is fantastic. I highly recommend this book to anyone with children who love to be read to at bedtime.One of the most beautiful and informative children's book I have seen in a long time."

Storyteller Books

The peacefulness of a deep blue sea is the chosen setting for this book that creatively shows how ocean animals sleep. The hook captures the attention of readers and listeners by suggesting that they may wonder what it is like to sleep in the ocean. The text and bright, appealing illustrations highlight different kinds of mammals and their ocean sleep habits. Included are Orca, Beluga, and Humpback whales; Harbor, Elephant, and Northern Fur seals; walruses, dolphins, manatees, and sea otters. In an innovative move, the pajama-clad child from the opening spread is featured on subsequent spreads which show him sleeping in the ocean like the mammals do. Each spread has only a few sentences of text. However, much information is imparted in it. A page entitled "For Creative Minds" follows the main text body and consists of many facts about marine mammals. Another page gives information about how to make a picture of a marine mammal. Line drawing aids are included. This book will add a plethora of ideas to elementary science lessons. It also comes across as a pleasing bedtime story. 2005, Sylvan Dell Publishing, Ages 2 to 8.
—Nancy Garhan Attebury

Children's Literature

PreS-Gr 1-As a young boy slumbers, readers learn about the sleeping habits of 10 assorted water mammals, such as whales, seals, and dolphins. Karwoski introduces the story with an informative preface in which she points out the vast differences in these mammals' sleeping habits. However, the picture-book pages that follow, while age-appropriate, seem too simplistic in contrast. Attractive artwork resembling oil paintings helps set the deep-sea mood by using a blue-gray palette. Nonetheless, at times the appearance of the young boy sleeping underwater is disconcerting. The author provides an appendix where still more information about the mammals is highlighted. The bibliography and extended artwork suggestions rely on using the publisher's Web page to aid in creating original drawings.-Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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