The main idea of this book is to introduce to readers the fabulous variety of underwater life.
I enjoyed this book for a few reasons. I loved that the informational text was presented in a narrative format. For example, the story follows one small hermit crab as she travels around the ocean seeking a new shell. As she searches, she encounters many sea creatures and plants, and we as the readers are able to gain information about them. For example, one page reads: "She awoke from her exhausted dreams and peeked out. Sea stars blinked, jellyfish shimmered, and tiny copepods trailed delicate streams of light. It was a dazzling show of bioluminescence." I think this narrative format gives the information presented more life and excitement, especially for young readers.
Furthermore, I liked this book because of the textual feature used of putting important academic language in boldface. For example, on the page cited previously, the words "sea stars," "jellyfish," "copepods," and 'bioluminescence" are each bolded. At the end of the book, each of these boldface words is presented in a glossary format where you can find out more information about them. I liked that there was more information readily available for students who wanted to know more, but that it wasn't interfering with the narration flow. Some students may not be interested in learning even more, but are more engaged with the story. I think this feature caters to both types of readers. ( )