Heads and Tails: Underwater

A side-shuffler with nippy claws. A gentle giant who can sing. Which creature is on the next page? Discover a gorgeous book for all those who love water dwellers, or following clues.\nI have eight long, flexible arms.
Which creature am I?\nSwimming, gliding, croaking, or clawing . . . can you guess which underwater creature will appear next? Follow the clues from page to page, from tail to head, to discover whether it is a crab or an eel, a frog or a starfish, an octopus or a seahorse, or . . . whatis that sneaking in the water? With beautiful, fluid illustrations inspired by nineteenth-century prints, this intriguing guessing game—a follow-up to Heads and Tails and Heads and Tails: Insects—will have curious children diving right in.\nFrom School Library Journal\nPreS-Gr 3-In his follow-up to Heads and Tails and Heads and Tails: Insects, Canty presents an engaging guessing game in book form. This entry includes loads of clues for children to guess the identity of underwater animals, such as eels, crabs, and starfish. The hints are clearly presented in large type, and the pages feature soft watercolor illustrations. Based on the clues from the images and the text, preschoolers will likely guess some while also learning more about the 12 sea creatures. The answers are presented in capital letters, taking the excitement up a notch and encouraging a splashy reveal. Then, with a climactic ending, the author concludes with all-cap warnings that there is danger, and the critters need to swim for their lives. This would be a fun pastime for elementary-level students who are already reading aloud and a wonderful story time warm up for preschoolers. VERDICT A fun picture book with a range of uses. Purchase where Canty's previous titles are popular.-Nancy Call, formerly at Santa Cruz P.L., Aptos, CAα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.