The third installment of the West Coast Wild series by Deborah Hodge (West Coast Wild Babies; West Coast Wild: A Nature Alphabet) investigates life along the Pacific Ocean's edge at low tide. Meticulously detailed artwork by Karen Reczuch (Turtle Pond) accompanies Hodge's fascinating text, making for an engaging nonfiction work aimed at young readers that will likely be alluring to any biology lover.
Hodge identifies numerous creatures living in the intertidal zone. These hardy lifeforms adapt to the regularly changing environment caused by the daily tides moving back and forth. She introduces readers to species such as the Sea Lemon, a sea slug that gives off a strong fruity scent; the Purple Sea Urchin, which can eat rock; and the Penpoint Gunnel, a fish that breathes air when it's out of water. The fun facts for each creature encourage page turns, but Reczuch's bright, eye-catching watercolor and color pencil illustrations temper the pace. Each layout is deliciously intricate, showing the "feathery little feet" of the Acorn Barnacle, scales on the Tidepool Sculpin and suction cups on the Giant Pacific Octopus. Reczuch's use of lighting emphasizes the shallowness of the low tide, and the textures add realistic dimension to the flat page.
Anyone visiting the intertidal zone will be armed with a superb resource for finding and identifying the life forms at the low tide. But one doesn't need to be planning a trip to enjoy and learn from this delightful picture book. --Jen Forbus, freelancer