Beneath the Waves

Young readers can dive into this illustrated tour of the sea, which pairs striking photographs with verse and brief profiles of the animals and plants that live in its waters. The book explains how the ocean shapes life on our planet and makes the case for protecting it. Its route begins at the shoreline and moves downward through the ocean's layers, visiting mangrove forests, coral reefs, and the deepest parts of the sea. Along the way it introduces many creatures that live both along the coast and far below the surface.

Each section mixes poems, short stories, fun facts, and photo galleries, so the book works well for reading aloud or for browsing on one's own. Contributors include explorer and photojournalist Brian Skerry, who wrote the foreword; National Geographic Explorer and marine conservationist Jess Cramp, interviewed in the book; former children's poet laureate J. Patrick Lewis, who contributes a poem; ocean ecologist and Explorer-in-Residence Enric Sala; and ocean conservationist Sylvia Earle, who closes the book with an afterword.

The result is a handsome keepsake that teaches young readers about marine life while encouraging them to care for the ocean.