"Explore our beautiful blue ocean while learning how to count. Visit colorful coral reefs, warm and sunny seas, sparkling ice packs, and other special spots where marine animals live and play. And on your way, discover new ocean friends on a worldwide counting adventure." For the numbers one through ten, there are double spread pictures, and short blurbs and supplemental "did you know" insets that offer interesting information. A very nice book!

The cute baby seal and its mama (for Two) are particularly kid-friendly, although I myself was especially taken by the four reef squid--a stunning picture in which the squids obligingly arranged themselves in a line by size (sweet squids!).

This is one for the child who appreciates beautiful illustrations--the flower paintings are lovely, in a calm, painterly way. They aren't your common or garden flowers either--instead, they are wildflowers from across the country, including new ones for East Coast me, like the six Pacific Starflowers. The text is minimal, but interest is added by occasional metaphorical language. For the nine lupines, for instance, the text says "Named after the wolf, they howl in purple when many flower at once."

The Latin names of the flowers are included, though a little note explaining what these foreign words are might have been useful.

This one is strong on aesthetics and floral interest, could for peaceful appreciation of the beauties of nature. I particularly liked that it started with Zero, which so often gets overlooked--it's a snowy landscape with no flowers at all.

This is a truly inspiring one that I wholeheartedly recommend.

So, have a happy Earth Day! And just to close, here is my own go-to saving the earth tip--keep a bucket in your shower, to catch the water while its warming up, and use that water to flush the toilet. If you have four shower-ers in your family, like me, and an old plumbing system that takes ages to warm the water, you'll save hundreds of gallons a year.

For more great non-fiction for kids, visit this Monday's Non-Fiction Roundup at A Mom's Spare Time

disclaimer: review copies received from publicist

Source: charlotteslibrary.blogspot.com