It's the tenth anniversary of the About Habitats series by Cathryn and John Sill and they have a new book out to celebrate the occasion.

Most people probably think of sandy beaches when they think of seashores, but they are actually a diverse habitat and the Sills showcase that in their latest nature book.

A flattened globe introduces the concept of seashores "narrow strips of land that border the seas." The book includes one or two sentences for each colored plate. The seashores included show rocky cliffs, icy rocks, sandy beaches, mud flats, and rolling surf.

Each seashore is shown with the different wildlife that inhabits it from seals and seagulls to tide pools, crabs, and worms. The book also includes plants - flowers and trees - and some of the natural phenomena on seashores like tides.

The back matter includes thumbnails of each spread with more in-depth explanations of everything from tidepools to shorebirds to environmental issues with seashores.

Verdict: This series is a staple for my library; I recommend it to teachers and parents all the time and have used them in flannelboards and interactive reading with classes. That being said, this one felt a little, I don't know, forced. The animal series is, I think, better than the habitats although there's a need for these as well. I will absolutely buy and use it, but I think there are so many books on seashores that this one doesn't stand out quite as much as some of their previous titles.

ISBN: 9781561459681; Published 2017 by Peachtree; F&G provided by publisher for review

Approximately 40% of U.S. residents live near the coast, yet there is a dearth of nonfiction titles for very young readers on the topic. Seashores fills this gap with beautiful, painted illustrations by wildlife artist, John Sill. The illustrations are reminiscent of Audubon's style. Cathryn Sill offers very simple observations,

"Plants have to be tough to live in the salty spray, strong winds, and hot sunshine at seashores."

Each sentence is in a large simple font on a white background. The accompanying illustration is on the facing page. In a nod to all types of seashores, there are depictions of muddy flats, rocky cliffs, palm-ringed beaches, and beaches from across the globe. Wildlife and bird life are accurately represented in each location.

There is only one sentence or thought per page, however, for older readers, a note at the bottom offers the title and plate number of the illustration. The author's Afterword lists each plate number with a small representation of the illustration and a paragraph that more fully describes the scene. For the quote above, the description reads,

"Many seashore plants grow close to the ground for protection from the wind. Others have thick and waxy leaves that make it easier to store water. Some have leaves covered with tiny hairs that protect the plant from the heat. Pink Sand Verbenas have thick, water-storing leaves. They live in sandy soil along the western coast of North America."

A Glossary and Bibliography complete the book. The suggested age range for About Habitats: Seashores is from 3-7. This is a lovely, educational book that will appeal to shore dwellers and mid-staters alike.

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