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The rescuers work fast and hard to free them from that ‘drape.’"
In this book, young readers meet Olli, Elusa Medusa, Starlet Starfish, Raymie, and a cast of other seaworthy characters who guide them through the ocean’s depths. Initially, Elusa Medusa—“of the jellyfish kind”—guides Olli to the jellyfish swarms. There, the pair dance. As Olli guides young readers onward, they meet Starlet Starfish, Olli’s new neighbor, and eventually Raymie, a graceful stingray who brightens Olli’s day by offering Olli a ride. Olli’s journeys continue, and Olli guides readers into reefs and realms where other characters like Delphina, a bottle-nose dolphin, delivers a baby, and Dorado—a bright, golden fish from Mexico—arrives and teaches Olli and his friends a new language. However, despite their happiness, Olli and his friends are not safe from pollution, and by the book’s end, kids learn about the necessity of saving the seas.
As much as this book teaches children to be aware of the sea’s fragile environment, it also teaches them to be kind to and accepting of others. The book’s diverse cast of characters shows the importance of taking the time to learn about others, no matter how different others might be from oneself. Gorgeous, colorful illustrations bring these lessons to life. The carefully constructed rhyme schemes not only make the book fun to read aloud but can also be used to teach young readers the beauty of language and words. Thus, the book becomes a fun adventure for readers of all ages, particularly for those who love the sea and have a special place in their hearts for the ocean and its inhabitants.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review