{"id":16099,"date":"2017-06-15T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-06-15T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/live-hakamagwp.pantheonsite.io\/features\/coastal-books-keep-kids-busy-summer"},"modified":"2023-06-22T12:11:32","modified_gmt":"2023-06-22T19:11:32","slug":"coastal-books-keep-kids-busy-summer","status":"publish","type":"custom_features","link":"https:\/\/hakaimagazine.com\/features\/coastal-books-keep-kids-busy-summer\/","title":{"rendered":"Coastal Books to Keep the Kids Busy This Summer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Near my home, great blue herons are flying to and from their nests in the tall firs in the park near the sea. As their chicks fledge, a new season of coastal books for kids is taking flight. Young readers can follow the adventures of a lone wolf in British Columbia\u2019s Great Bear Rainforest, explore the reconstruction of a blue whale skeleton, or learn about citizen science and the ways in which our actions impact animals. This season\u2019s books also offer opportunities for inspiration and reflection\u2014immersing readers in the story of the late scientist known as the Shark Lady and in the eye-opening journey of refugee children, for example.<\/p>\n

Whether for bedtime, beach time, or family story time, one of these titles is sure to enrich and enlighten the young readers in your life.<\/p>\n

One of my favorite books of the season is Hello Humpback<\/em>, a board book featuring the stunning artwork of British Columbia First Nations artist Roy Henry Vickers, coauthored with Robert Budd. It is a magical West Coast celebration of flora and fauna as seen through an indigenous cultural lens. Little ones will love the simple language and the opportunity to touch the embossed images.<\/p>\n

\"helloHello Humpback!
\nText by Roy Henry Vickers and Robert Budd
\nIllustrations by Roy Henry Vickers
\n20 pp. Harbour Publishing<\/p>\n

\n

Hideaway Cove<\/em> is a delightful, information-packed picture book that takes children through a day in the life of a west coast cove. Here, humans are noticeably absent and the diverse plants and animals tell a wonderful tale. Brenda Boreham\u2019s text is lyrical and rich in detail. Educators and parents alike will appreciate the endnotes with further details about flora and fauna, as well as the illustrated map locating the habitats of the featured plants and animals. It\u2019s among 150 books published by Strong Nations in Nanaimo, British Columbia, which grew out of an indigenous bookstore of the same name. Although Hideaway Cove<\/em> appears to be intended for the educational market, it is beautifully written and would be suitable for family bookshelves.<\/p>\n

\"\"Hideaway Cove
\nText by Brenda Boreham
\nIllustrations by Laura Timmermans
\n28 pp. Strong Nations<\/p>\n

\n

Children will be intrigued by Donald Uluadluak\u2019s memory of his childhood encounter with an Inuit arnajuinnaq<\/em> (sea creature) in The People of the Sea. <\/em>Enriched by the artwork of Mike Motz and the publisher\u2019s cultural and language notes, The People of the Sea <\/em>will contribute to both preserving and sharing Arctic stories. Uluadluak\u2019s recent death, and the diminishing number of elders with experiences like his, makes the need for preserving these unique stories all the more urgent.<\/p>\n

\"\"The People of the Sea
\nText by Donald Uluadluak
\nIllustrations by Mike Motz
\n28 pp. Inhabit Media<\/p>\n

\n

The Great Bear Rainforest, which stretches from the central coast of British Columbia to the Alaska Panhandle, is at the heart of Wolf Island<\/em>, a stunning picture book with broad appeal. Ian McAllister\u2019s close-up photographs chart the journey of a lone wolf that leaves his pack in search of a new home. The story spans several seasons and is evocative with rich details about wolves and the temperate rainforest ecosystem. Young naturalists and budding photographers will be captivated by this story as well as the three other titles in the exquisite Great Bear Rainforest series.<\/p>\n

\"\"Wolf Island
\nText by Nicholas Read
\nPhotography by Ian McAllister
\n32 pp. Orca Book Publishers<\/p>\n

\n

Big Blue Forever: The Story of Canada\u2019s Largest Blue Whale Skeleton <\/em>aims to bring a sense of wonder and respect for blue whales to young audiences. The book begins with a short fictional account of a blue whale that washed ashore on Prince Edward Island in the 1980s. \u201cIt\u2019s as big as a boat,\u201d one little girl observes. At the time, the whale was buried to keep it from smelling. The book then shifts into non-fiction and jumps ahead 20 years to when scientists unearthed the 150-tonne blue whale skeleton and transformed it into the centerpiece of a museum. The second half of the book focuses on the monumental task of cleaning, shipping, and re-articulating the huge skeleton. Photos and detailed descriptions, such as a single flipper measuring three meters and containing more than 30 bones, add interest. The skeleton is now housed at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum in Vancouver, British Columbia.<\/p>\n

\"\"Big Blue Forever: The Story of Canada\u2019s Largest Blue Whale Skeleton
\nText by Anita Miettunen
\n72 pp. Red Deer Press<\/p>\n

\n

While few of us get the opportunity to see a blue whale, many Hawaiian locals and visitors have been lucky enough to see monk seals. As a protected species, monk seals get first dibs on beaches in Hawai\u2018i. If a pregnant monk seal arrives on a beach, that section is off limits to beachgoers until she returns to the sea with her pup. Honey Girl: The Hawaiian Monk Seal<\/em> is the true story of an injured monk seal spotted by kite surfers. They immediately alert scientists, who help the malnourished seal by surgically removing a large fish hook that pierced her tongue and prevented her from eating. After extensive rehab, Honey Girl is returned to the wild. This is one example of the scientific community working with citizens. Another example is the subject of Moonlight Crab Count<\/em>. It tells of a mother and daughter who volunteer each summer to count the horseshoe crabs that come ashore at night to mate and lay their eggs. Scientists rely on volunteers like this duo to gather data. Both titles do an excellent job of integrating information into a picture book format and providing additional facts and conservation information at the end.<\/p>\n

\"\"Honey Girl: The Hawaiian Monk Seal
\nText by Jeanne Walker Harvey
\nIllustrations by Shennen Bersani
\n32 pp. Arbordale Publishing<\/p>\n

\"\"Moonlight Crab Count
\nText by Neeti Bathala and Jennifer Keats Curtis
\nIllustrations by Veronica V. Jones
\n32 pp. Arbordale Publishing<\/div>\n
\n

Dolphin Rescue <\/em>also presents science within a fictional format. The story\u2019s young protagonists help a baby dolphin entangled in the line of a buoy, while also helping solve a mystery. Part of the Animal Planet Adventures series, the simple language and sentence structure of this early chapter book makes it suitable for beginning readers, while the mystery element draws in slightly older reluctant readers. Sidebars provide additional fascinating science facts while ensuring an engaging read.<\/p>\n

\"\"Dolphin Rescue
\nText by Catherine Nichols
\nIllustrations by Bryan Langdo
\n112 pp. Time Inc. Books<\/p>\n

\n

Responsible stewardship is written between the lines of Water\u2019s Children<\/em>, a picture book that offers a snapshot of what water means to different children around the world. To a child whose father is a fisherman, \u201cwater is the ocean.\u201d To other children, water is \u201ca bowl of rice\u201d grown in \u201cthe sparkling grid of flooded fields,\u201d or, water is \u201cthe monsoon … the thirsty ground cracked and waiting.\u201d And in a refugee camp, water is \u201ca miracle\u201d that arrives by truck. Translated from French, the simple text is beautifully illustrated by G\u00e9rard Frischeteau. The author and illustrator seamlessly show that water is, indeed, life.<\/p>\n

\"\"Water\u2019s Children
\nText by Ang\u00e8le Delaunois
\nIllustrations by G\u00e9rard Frischeteau
\nTranslation by Erin Woods
\n32 pp. Pajama Press<\/p>\n

\n

Until Eugenie Clark came along, most people thought that sharks were bloodthirsty killers. Not only did she prove them wrong, she showed the world that sharks are intelligent and efficient hunters exquisitely adapted to their environment. From a young age, Clark was fascinated by sharks and later became the first person to study them in their own habitat. Her curiosity and passion led her to open the Cape Haze Marine Laboratory (now the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium), where she continued to research and advocate for sharks and other marine animals. Swimming With Sharks<\/em> is Clark\u2019s journey from an inquisitive nine-year-old to an international shark expert who became known as the Shark Lady. This accessible picture book with additional notes is a biography that is sure to inspire the next generation of scientists.<\/p>\n

\"\"Swimming With Sharks: The Daring Discoveries of Eugenie Clark
\nText by Heather Lang
\nIllustrations by Jordi Solano
\n32 pp. Albert Whitman & Company<\/p>\n

\n

Stormy Seas: Stories of Young Boat Refugees <\/em>is a haunting, yet timely and relevant read. Its stories\u2014often harrowing and sometimes heartbreaking\u2014are worth sharing as a family because questions and discussions are a certainty. The book gives a general description of what it is like to be a refugee, supplemented with firsthand stories from children who have fled their homes due to war, enslavement, repression, hunger, or certain death. Although many have come from landlocked countries, their escape often involved a grueling boat trip arranged by human traffickers caring more about financial gain than their passengers\u2019 lives or well-being. Tragically, the refugee saga is not a new one. Stories range from 18-year-old Ruth who fled Nazi Germany to 11-year-old Najeeba who fled the Taliban in Afghanistan with her family in 2000. This is a book that can be difficult, but it should be read.<\/p>\n

\"\"Stormy Seas: Stories of Young Boat Refugees
\nText by Mary Beth Leatherdale
\nIllustrations by Eleanor Shakespeare
\n64 pp. Annick Press<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From the Shark Lady to refugees who traveled by sea, this season\u2019s stories are sure to inspire.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":13010,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[81],"tags":[230],"acf":{"hero_video_url":null,"hero_video_caption":"","deck":"From the Shark Lady to refugees who traveled by sea, this season\u2019s stories are sure to inspire.","authors_group":[{"by_group":"by","contributors_group":[15709]}],"word_count_override":"","podbean1":"","podbean2":"","redirect":"","geolocation":null,"related":[16161,23207],"twitterimage":14557,"facebookimage":14059,"twitterdescription":"","edited":"","factchecked":"","code":"","no_old_story_flag":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hakaimagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features\/16099"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hakaimagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hakaimagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/custom_features"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/hakaimagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features\/16099\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42477,"href":"https:\/\/hakaimagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features\/16099\/revisions\/42477"}],"acf:post":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hakaimagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features\/23207"},{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hakaimagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/features\/16161"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hakaimagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13010"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hakaimagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hakaimagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16099"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hakaimagazine.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}