Over in the Ocean in the Coral Reef by Marianne Berks, illustrated by Jeanette Canyon (Dawn Publications, 2021) imitates the “Somewhere in the Meadow” song using the Great Barrier Reef as a setting.The subtitle is “A beach baby animal habitat book.” It follows a counting pattern, mentions a variety of animals, and is available in both board book and regular picture book. The three-dimensional artwork makes the animals and setting seem to stand out of the page. I liked how versatile it felt: it could go with very young children as a board book or with older children as a picture book. It provides educational material in a friendly format.
It would be great for the very young to help count along with, and if you find a recording, the children can sing along as well. It joins the “Our World, Our Home” series, which now includes books in the farm, river, artic, Australia, and more. Each book in the series appears to be illustrated by a different artist, providing a variety of styles to enjoy. Berks wrote all the books in the series.
