Saturday, September 14, 2013

The sea, the storm, and the mangrove tangle by Lynne Cherry


A few months ago a Grade 2 teacher requested this book.  We didn't have it in our library but I know the topic of mangroves is an important one in our local area so I quickly ordered a copy.  The teacher was delighted and said the class loved this book.  Tonight I finally found time to read it myself and I agree.

Environmental sustainability is a new focus for our English syllabus and this book is a perfect addition to our growing collection of books which support this area.

I should have realized this would be an excellent book because I have often read another famous book by Lynne Cherry to my students - The Great Kapok Tree : A tale of the Amazon Rain forest.

The sea, the storm, and the mangrove tangle uses a gentle narrative to convey factual information. I am not sure if there is an official term for this genre but I call these books "faction".  When you read this book you will find out about the precious habitat created in a mangrove and about plant propagation by propagules which was a new word for me.  The illustrations in this book are perfect and the language is lyrical.

"The manatees lifted their noses in the air and sniffed.  Yes, there was that sweet damp scent of rain.  On the horizon, they saw, far away, plums of rain descending from a raft of dark clouds. A hurricane was on its way."

After you read The sea, the storm, and the mangrove tangle you might also look for Tanglewood.

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