Hello Ocean

 

Hello Ocean

Author: Pam Muñoz Ryan

Illustrator: Mark Astrella

Scholastic Inc., 2001

32 pages

 

 

          I chose this book because the beach is one of my favorite places to visit. I mean, who really doesn't love a nice, relaxing beach day? Sadly, a lot of children, especially the ones closer inland, have never seen the ocean, felt the nice warm sand between their toes, or heard the seagulls cry. In Hello Ocean, Pam Muñoz Ryan uses all five senses and a few rhymes to give us the ultimate beach experience. The story follows a little girl around that calls the beach her "best friend", with her, you too can relive your favorite beach memories. So grab some sunblock and a beach ball, it's time for a perfect day in the sun!

         

        Mark Astrella uses bold, warm colors that dare sure to catch your eye. The paintings are done in such a realistic day, you feel as if you can feel the warmth of the sun coming from each of the pages. Astrella really captures everyone of Ryan's words in such a beautiful and inviting way. You are sure to feel like you just got home from a long day at the beach as soon as the last page is turn.

 

       This book would be appropriate to use in a Science lesson to teach Kindergartener's or 1st grader's their five senses. Hello Ocean demonstrates each sense in a fun, unique way. It would bring in a few items to go along with the lesson and story, such as salt water, sand, and maybe find the sound of the ocean online for the students to listen to. This book would also be a great book for a language lesson when teaching about rhyming poems at any age. It demonstrates a lot of different ways to arrange sentences to rhyme, as well as show words that have similar sounds, but look completely different. For example, 'squeal' and 'feel'. Lastly, I would use this book in a writing exercise and have the students write about their favorite beach memory, or if they've never been, have them write about something they would like to experience after reading this story.