Explore the Salish Sea: A Nature Guide for Kids
Reviewed by Adelia Ritchie
From orcas to spot prawns, giant octopuses to giant kelp, glaciers to beach rocks, this wonderful book takes 5th- and 6th-graders on a magic carpet ride through all branches of science, from marine biology to ocean chemistry, geology of beach rocks to watersheds, mud flat habitats to dark ocean depths, and even an introduction to the physics of flowing water––all presented in glorious close-up photography of Salish Sea life in their natural habitats.
This beautiful book inspires kids to become “nature detectives” of a wide variety of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and tiny invertebrates barely visible to the naked eye. More importantly, it introduces the reader to the concept of ecosystems, how all life is dependent on and connected to oceans, forests, mountains and streams; even sunlight and air are key components of Earth’s life support system.
Filled with inspiring and engaging stories, Explore the Salish Sea: A Nature Guide for Kids mobilizes young people to explore, observe, learn, respect and protect the complex marine ecosystem that encompasses the coastal waters of our unique region, extending from Seattle’s Puget Sound up to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Georgia Strait of British Columbia.
Not just for 5th- and 6th-graders, this book is filled with jaw-dropping color photographs that will stimulate and entertain kids of all ages, right up to the advanced age of this writer! Being the next generation to inherit and protect the Salish Sea, children will love to be read to from this fascinating introduction to our precious local marine environment.
Having hit #1 in the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association’s Early and Middle Grade category and #1 on Amazon’s Children’s Environmental and Ecology, Explore the Salish Sea: A Nature Guide for Kids stemmed from the enthusiastic reaction the authors received after publishing a more detailed book, The Salish Sea: Jewel of the Pacific Northwest in 2015 (see review by SEA-Media).
The SeaDoc Society, co-publisher of Explore the Salish Sea, is committed to encouraging and supporting science education. For more information about tools for teachers and the Junior SeaDoctor program, please visit SeaDocSociety.org.
Gaydos, a self-proclaimed science nerd, is chief scientist for the SeaDoc Society, a marine science and conservation program focused on the Salish Sea. He is a licensed wildlife veterinarian and has a doctorate degree in wildlife health. Co-author Benedict is the founder and director of Cloud Ridge Naturalists, a nonprofit natural history educational organization, and member of the board of the SeaDoc Society.
