Secrets of the Saltmarsh by Claire Saxby illustrated by Alicia Rogerson

I am land and water.

I need sunshine and rain.

I clean the air and the water.

I store carbon.

I am always changing.

I am a saltmarsh wetland ...

This pattern of text (quoted from pages 3 and 4) is used through out this book - I am a saltmarsh; I am the ocean; I am water; I am the wind; I am sunlight; we are plants; we are birds; we are the little ones; we are the tiny ones; we are the seasons; I am a cycle of life; I am a mangrove tree.

As you would expect there are four pages of extra facts at the back of this book and glossary and map. 

Secrets of the Saltmarsh is another terrific book published by CSIRO here in Australia. They have a knack for selecting interesting topics and also for pairing the right author illustrator combination. This book is a must add title for all Australian primary schoools.

The opening end papers are filled with birds - sandpiper, spoonbill, whimbrel and grassbird. The back end papers are filled with fish. 

This link will take you to the teachers notes. I am going to predict we will see this book listed by the CBCA judges as a 2025 Eve Pownall notable title and possibly a short listed one too. Take a look at this review from The Bottom Shelf.

Definitions:

Salt marsh, area of low, flat, poorly drained ground that is subject to daily or occasional flooding by salt water or brackish water and is covered with a thick mat of grasses and plants such as sedges and rushes.

A mangrove is a type of coastal tree that can live in harsh saltwater environments. When there are many mangroves living together, it’s called a mangrove forest. 

Wetlands are areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres.

Claire Saxby explains her book here. 

Further reading:

• Ocean Conservancy US site
• Salt Marsh facts for kids
• Kent wildlife trust UK site
• 3 minute video about mangroves (upper Primary level)
• Australian mangrove facts for kids 

I tried to find other children's books about the saltmarsh - this one is from the US and published 2007:

I would pair this book with Tanglewood.

I do hope the Teacher-Librarian in my former school has discovered this wonderful book Secrets of the Saltmarsh. Our Grade Two students visit the wetland area near my former primary school every year and I did collect lots of books about mangroves (see below) but this one adds another layer of information to that topic.

Take a look here to see all the fabulous books by Claire Saxby. Alicia Rogerson is the illustrator of One Potoroo:

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.