Sea Without a Shore

Starred review from June 3, 2024
Five major currents in the Atlantic Ocean “swirl billions of gallons of water clockwise around and around,” creating an immense body of water, called the Sargasso Sea after the floating sargassum forests within it. Though it’s known as seaweed, Rosenstock (Mornings with Monet) explains in clear, punchy prose that sargassum is an algae that reproduces when small pieces break off and then photosynthesize, growing stipes and blades as “gas-filled globes keep the weed on the surface.” In carefully drafted naturalistic watercolors, Roy (The Fire of Stars) paints the sargassum floating in the blue sea as sunlight streams down, then focuses on the tiny creatures that settle upon it, in turn supporting more sophisticated life-forms: “Pinching Crabs,/ Skittering Shrimp.” These beings tidy the weed, which keeps “floating,/ around and around,” a phrase whose repetition reinforces the sea’s sense of movement. As the title indicates, seas don’t need seashores to be distinct, nor do thriving ecosystems require land. Around a series of ever larger creatures depicted—fish, turtles, and whales, all sustained by sargassum-supported life—are images of people of various skin tones interacting with the algae. Ample back matter concludes. Ages 4–8.

Starred review from July 15, 2024
From the broken-off tip of a sargassum plant, a whole community grows in the Sargasso Sea. This appealing title illustrates the remarkable variety of "the ocean's floating golden rainforest," as marine biologist and oceanographer Sylvia Earle puts it in her afterword. Set on and off the shores of Bermuda, the book depicts racially diverse beachgoers making their own whirlpool as Rosenstock describes the enormous whirling area of the Atlantic Ocean known as the Sargasso Sea, the result of "five currents [swirling] billions of gallons of water clockwise." Next, she introduces the sargassum, an algae that reproduces by growing anew from broken-off bits. Step by step, the sargassum grows, and other living creatures--crabs, shrimp, swordfish--come. They graze on it, take shelter in it, and feed on smaller inhabitants. Gradually, the population builds up until we see humpback whales and then a happy Black-presenting human swimmer. The author makes clear how interdependent these creatures are and describes the complexity of their world. This deftly told narrative would be grand fun to read aloud. The creatures are introduced in triplet lines: "Crusty bryozoans / feathery hydroids. / Spiraled tube worms." Rosenstock's concise text exudes energy and makes wonderful use of alliteration: "They scavenge. Snatching and shredding." "Water-striders speed on the surface." Roy's gorgeous, watercolorlike illustrations swirl with vibrant hues and would show well to a group. Youngsters will be sucked into this engaging, informative account of a most unusual ecosystem. (map, research note, too much sargassum?, sources)(Informational picture book. 4-8)

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Starred review from September 13, 2024

Gr 3-6-Books offer glimpses of worlds unknown, and that's absolutely what this one accomplishes, illuminating the ins and outs of the Sargasso Sea from micro to macro views. It expands from small beginnings to portray a wide world of wonder; starting with the borders, it stretches to sargassum seaweed and the creatures that rely on it for sustenance. Most of the wonder can be found in Roy's gorgeous illustrations. They gloriously grow from the spare nature of a lone seaweed stipe and stretch into golden swirls housing everything from camouflaged crabs to whales. Working with a rich color palette, she uses yellows and blues to create the vastness of the sea from tiny specks. Readers could easily get lost in illustrated details of the animals within the seaweed fronds. They can also easily get lost in the text, which presents the scientific terms simply and without explanation. It's good practice for inference, but younger students may need support. However, there are also some rhythmic portions, nearly sing-song, that may not gel with older children. The text requires a reading sweet spot, in-betweeners with high understanding and high whimsy. The illustrations? There's no barrier to entry there. VERDICT Stellar for middle grade science classrooms, particularly ones studying ocean life or habitats.-Cat McCarrey

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2024
The Sargasso Sea sits within the Atlantic Ocean and is home to an ecosystem centered on the seaweed genus Sargassum. To the children portrayed exploring the seashore in the opening pages (and to readers), Sargassum may look like a plant, but it is actually algae and has intriguing characteristics. The large clumps of Sargassum that float on the water and reproduce by fragmentation host a diverse array of life. Rosenstock moves across the region's food web from the tiny to the large, beginning with microscopic life ("Crusty bryozoans / Feathery hydroids / Spiraled tube worms") and continuing through mollusks and crustaceans to the largest fish and whales. The text is dense with descriptive words, poetic phrasing, and scientific details: "The frogfish creeps. Hanging by fingery fins. Luring in prey, darting out to swallow it whole." A repeated phrase with slight variations at the end of each section connects each species back to its seaweed host. Roy's lush illustrations, set in clear, deep blue waters, bring it all to life. Featured species live, hunt, and reproduce within the swirling ocher of the Sargassum fronds, while white speckles of nutrients drift by. Back matter includes a helpful map and key to major Sargasso Sea species, an afterword by marine biologist Dr. Sylvia Earle, considerations of threats from climate change, and an account of the author and illustrator's travels to Bermuda to see the Sargasso Sea and consult with oceanographers. Danielle J. Ford

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2024
The Sargasso Sea sits within the Atlantic Ocean and is home to an ecosystem centered on the seaweed genus Sargassum. To the children portrayed exploring the seashore in the opening pages (and to readers), Sargassum may look like a plant, but it is actually algae and has intriguing characteristics. The large clumps of Sargassum that float on the water and reproduce by fragmentation host a diverse array of life. Rosenstock moves across the region's food web from the tiny to the large, beginning with microscopic life ("Crusty bryozoans / Feathery hydroids / Spiraled tube worms") and continuing through mollusks and crustaceans to the largest fish and whales. The text is dense with descriptive words, poetic phrasing, and scientific details: "The frogfish creeps. Hanging by fingery fins. Luring in prey, darting out to swallow it whole." A repeated phrase with slight variations at the end of each section connects each species back to its seaweed host. Roy's lush illustrations, set in clear, deep blue waters, bring it all to life. Featured species live, hunt, and reproduce within the swirling ocher of the Sargassum fronds, while white speckles of nutrients drift by. Back matter includes a helpful map and key to major Sargasso Sea species, an afterword by marine biologist Dr. Sylvia Earle, considerations of threats from climate change, and an account of the author and illustrator's travels to Bermuda to see the Sargasso Sea and consult with oceanographers.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)