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Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef Paperback – Picture Book, September 1, 2004

by Marianne Berkes (Author), Jeanette Canyon (Illustrator)
4.8 out of 5 stars 484
See all formats and editions

Learning becomes fun with this book about the animals of the ocean! In Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef, amazing artwork will inspire kids in classrooms and at home to appreciate the beauty and biology of coral reefs and world around us!

Brilliant artwork is the star of this oceanic counting book, based on the classic children's song "Over in the Meadow". Kids will sing, clap, and count their way among pufferfish that "puff," gruntfish that "grunt" and seahorses that "flutter," and begin to appreciate the animals in the ocean. And the clay art will inspire many a project.

Parents, teachers, giftgivers, and many others will find:

captivating illustrations of sculptures fashioned from polymer clay.

backmatter that includes further information about the coral reef and the animals of the ocean.

music and song lyrics to "Over in the Ocean" sung to the tune "Over in the Meadow"!

a book for young readers learning to count!

Previous page
  1. Reading age
    1 - 4 years, from customers
  2. Print length
    32 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Grade level
    Preschool - 2
  5. Lexile measure
    AD600L
  6. Dimensions
    10 x 0.08 x 9 inches
  7. Publisher
    Dawn Publications
  8. Publication date
    September 1, 2004
  9. ISBN-10
    1584690623
  10. ISBN-13
    978-1584690627
  11. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
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From the Publisher

Shark Lady Inky the Octopus How to Catch a Mermaid Over in the Ocean Looky Looky Little One Under the Sea
Shark Lady Inky the Octopus How to Catch a Mermaid Over in the Ocean Looky Looky Little One Under the Sea
Customer Reviews
4.8 out of 5 stars
2,230
4.9 out of 5 stars
979
4.8 out of 5 stars
34,016
4.8 out of 5 stars
484
4.5 out of 5 stars
15
Price $10.89 $11.99 $8.07 $10.34 $6.10
An under the sea adventure for toddlers and kids ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
The perfect summer read aloud and ocean gift ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Includes bonus educational material and fun facts! ✓ ✓ ✓
Kids ages 4-8 4-8 4-8 3-8 0-3
What’s it about? This is the story of a woman who dared to dive, defy, discover, and inspire! One of the best science picture books for children, Shark Lady is a must for both teachers and parents alike! Follow the adorable Inky the octopus on an intrepid adventure as he escapes from the National Aquarium of New Zealand to the ocean. Based on a true story! Many claim to have caught a mermaid, but can YOU? Brimming with fun STEAM-based traps and an irresistible under-the-sea adventure that parents, educators, and children will love! Based on the classic children's song "Over in the Meadow,” kids will sing, clap, and count their way through the animals in the ocean! In this seek and find adventure beneath the waves, activities will exercise young brains to identify objects, colors, numbers, shapes, sounds, animals, people, and themes under the sea!

Editorial Reviews

Review

Eye-popping artwork is the star of the show in Berkes's lively, oceanic counting book... --Kirkus Reviews, Sept 1, 2004

Berkes adapts the classic song "Over in the Meadow" to bring both a counting element and a musical element to the coral reef habitat. She has produced a book guaranteed to engage children while it educates them about marine life. The coral reef is teeming with pufferfish that "puff," gruntfish that "grunt" and seahorses that "flutter." The babies follow the behavior of their mothers - except in a true-to-life twist at the end. Includes plenty of age-appropriate background information about each of the animals. The book s illustrations are composed of photographs of reliefs shaped and sculpted from polymer clay - a wonderful, friendly, pliable and colorful medium. --Arizona Networking News

Marianne Berkes puts a delightful marine spin on the old meadow counting rhyme in Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef. Moving through the book from 1 to 10, youngsters learn about sea-dwelling creatures as each mother instructs her babies to squirt (octopus), puff (pufferfish) and skitter (needlefish). the rhyme takes an amusing turn at the end when father seahorse flutters in as the educating parent - demonstrating, of course, that love for offspring need not be gender specific. Jeanette Canyon s polymer artwork is unique and stunning. A "tips from the artist" section gives insight into her process and offers suggestions for creating clay art with kids. With additional sections on fingerplay games and the coral reef community, this book is a wonderful Valentine gift for educators, parents and children alike. --Mary Quattlebaum, Washington Parent

Berkes adapts the classic song "Over in the Meadow" to bring both a counting element and a musical element to the coral reef habitat. She has produced a book guaranteed to engage children while it educates them about marine life. The coral reef is teeming with pufferfish that "puff," gruntfish that "grunt" and seahorses that "flutter." The babies follow the behavior of their mothers - except in a true-to-life twist at the end. Includes plenty of age-appropriate background information about each of the animals. The book s illustrations are composed of photographs of reliefs shaped and sculpted from polymer clay - a wonderful, friendly, pliable and colorful medium. --Arizona Networking News

Marianne Berkes puts a delightful marine spin on the old meadow counting rhyme in Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef. Moving through the book from 1 to 10, youngsters learn about sea-dwelling creatures as each mother instructs her babies to squirt (octopus), puff (pufferfish) and skitter (needlefish). the rhyme takes an amusing turn at the end when father seahorse flutters in as the educating parent - demonstrating, of course, that love for offspring need not be gender specific. Jeanette Canyon s polymer artwork is unique and stunning. A "tips from the artist" section gives insight into her process and offers suggestions for creating clay art with kids. With additional sections on fingerplay games and the coral reef community, this book is a wonderful Valentine gift for educators, parents and children alike. --Mary Quattlebaum, Washington Parent

About the Author

Marianne Berkes has spent much of her life as a teacher, children's theater director and children's librarian. She knows how much children enjoy "interactive" stories and is the author of many entertaining and educational picture books that make a child's learning relevant. Reading, music, theater, gardening, and cooking have been a constant in Marianne's life. Her books are inspired by her love of nature. Marianne hopes to open kids' eyes to the magic found in our natural world. She now writes full time. An energetic presenter at schools and conferences, Marianne believes that "hands on" learning is fun. Her website is www.MarianneBerkes.com.



Jeanette Canyon received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Columbus College of Art & Design. Inspired by the philosophy and schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, she has enjoyed a distinguished career as an artist and arts educator of young children for over a decade. She now spends her time creating art for children's books, visiting schools, and sharing her creative spirit with others.

The whimsical, brightly colored and richly textured illustrations Jeanette Canyon creates for her books are relief sculptures fashioned from polymer clay with an occasional use of mixed media. She explains, "As a fine artist, I love to express myself with an array of colors, patterns and textures, and to make things with my hands―just as children do! The original art I create from polymer clay speaks to my love of both sculpting and painting." Unbounded imagination, a belief in unlimited possibilities and a celebration of creativity are the motivations that shape her innovative approach to the strikingly beautiful art she creates for children's books. Her artistic inspiration, coupled with great skill and talent are the ingredients to her spellbinding pictures that are loved and admired by children and adults alike.

Jeannette has published three books with Dawn Publications. Her first book, the bestselling Over in the Ocean, In a Coral Reef has won several awards, including the 2006 Learning Magazine Teacher's Choice Award. Her second book, City Beats (written by S. Kelly Rammell), was selected by the New York Public Library as one of their Top 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing. The highly anticipated Over in the Jungle: A Rainforest Rhyme will be published in March 2007.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dawn Publications; Illustrated edition (September 1, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 32 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1584690623
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1584690627
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 1 - 4 years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ AD600L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ Preschool - 2
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.3 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 10 x 0.08 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 out of 5 stars 484

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
484 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

BongaC
5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous and lyrical
Reviewed in the United States on April 20, 2022
Verified Purchase
Absolutely love the artwork, and so do my grandkids. The text is poetic. Some of my grandkids were more intrigued by the vibrant illustrations, some loved the words best. And it’s interesting! Appeals to varied ages.
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karensk121
5.0 out of 5 stars a sea-creature-theme rhyme that my kids love to hear and read
Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2005
Verified Purchase
---A book that would serve as an enriching literature unit as well as a wonderful gift---

This book consists of 11 verses of engaging rhyme in the same form as "Over in the Meadow", using fish and other sea animals instead of meadow animals. A new sea creature is introduced on every 2-page spread in quantities from 1 to 10.

For example, for the number "2":

Over in the ocean Where the sea grasses grew Lived a mother parrotfish And her parrotfish two. "Grind," said the mother. "We grind," said the two. So they ground on the coral Where the sea grasses grew."

And so it goes for each number, 1 through 10, with every verse starting with, "Over in the ocean...." The eleventh verse is a wrap-up where the reader has to find all 55 young animals in the 2-page spread (1 octopus, 2 parrotfish, 3 clownfish and so on), similar to the I Spy books.

Some of the supplemental features after the rhyme:
* the rhyme printed with the music, sung to the tune of "Over in the Meadow"
* information about each of the coral reef animals in the book
* hand motions that may be used for each of the verses (e.g., for the needlefish "skitter": put arms way out straight, then separate arms and wiggle fingers in a skittering motion)
* description of the artwork by the artist

The artwork is excellent -- aesthetically pleasing and very creative! The artist used polymer clay with various tools to shape all the scenery and animals onto a board. Then, "to create the two-dimensional illustrations for a book, the reliefs are photographed (with careful attention to lighting)." I, as well as my children, enjoy looking at the artwork, trying to guess how it was done. This is the artist's first book; I certainly hope she does more!

This book can be used as a launching-off point to teach 2- to 7-year-olds in more than one subject:
* The younger ones (ages 2-4) can learn their numbers and counting.
* The older ones can use this for memory work. A large class of 5- to 7-year-olds could team up in pairs; each pair could memorize a verse of the rhyme.
* It could be used to introduce a unit on :
sea creatures,
coral reefs, or
ocean life.
* It could be used to introduce an art unit on clay.
* It could be used a the spine of a literature unit with all of the above as additional activities.

This could be part of a gift set to a young child, accompanied by some toy sea animals and/or a book about ocean life (or coral reefs or sea animals). The 10 kinds of animals appearing in the rhyme are: octopus, parrotfish, clownfish, stingrays, pufferfish, dolphins, angelfish, needlefish, gruntfish, seahorses.

My 5-year-old reads our library copy over and over. I look forward to having our own copy of this book, which will be a keeper in our home.
47 people found this helpful
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Rebecca Workman-Schade
5.0 out of 5 stars Adorable song, beautiful pictures
Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2021
Verified Purchase
My toddler class loved the rhyming, sing-song quality of this book and the unique illustrations (all of the sea creatures are made from clay!) Would have liked a larger copy for the classroom, but perfectly fine for home use.
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Deedy.dc
5.0 out of 5 stars Over in the Ocean
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2021
Verified Purchase
I love the illustrations! Or enchants any kid (and adults too!) The story is easy to get so we can read this book for babies as well as older kids. Also the endless possibilities for Arts and Crafts makes me want to do everything with the kids.
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Mrs. Bee
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and Easy/Fun to read...
Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2009
Verified Purchase
even if you're not a fan of ocean themed lit like i am, you'll love this book. for 1-6 yr olds, it is a fabulous read. the cadence of the rhyme and beauty of the artwork (illustrations) will keep YOU, the adult reader, enthralled as well as your little rugrats, the listeners.

it is supremely aggravating to do a night-time read-a-loud of a book that doesn't flow well, or halfway rhymes, or has a horrid plot-line or diaglogue. no such worries here.

over in the ocean...

grind said the mother, we grind said the three (or 2 or 4 whatever)

its catchy w/o being annoying, and simple and...best of all...not too long not too short!

great for learning your numbers, too.
One person found this helpful
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Tigerlady3
4.0 out of 5 stars I got what I paid for
Reviewed in the United States on July 11, 2021
Verified Purchase
I wrote a previous review complaining about the condition of the book. I now realize that I was aware of the condition of the book I purchased. It is definitely usable, just not beautiful.
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Sara A.
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Book
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2019
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The illustrations in this book are captivating. All the original art created for the illustrations is made from clay, and my children were just as fascinated in how the clay fish and other sea creatures were made, as they were in the story/song. My kids are 2, almost 6, and 8. They all loved it in different ways. My 2 YO daughter liked seeing the fish, my 5 YO couldn't stop singing the song, and my 8 YO wanted to study and then try to create the clay creatures. I'm pretty sure any child young enough to appreciate the sea creatures, and any adult with an interest will LOVE this book. I'm going to check out some of the other titles by this author.
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Twlb
5.0 out of 5 stars One of the very best
Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2019
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This is one of my all-time favorite kid's picture books. Loads of memories reading/singing this over and over with my kids. Now I buy it to give as gifts. It's perfect for before or after a trip to the aquarium. This teaches kids a lot about different sea creatures and their habits, while also giving a joyful experience of togetherness between a child and their adult reader.
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Top reviews from other countries

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ImanSjd
5.0 out of 5 stars My girls love it, as they love Over in the forest
Reviewed in Canada on October 27, 2021
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It's a good book that even I enjoy reading for my girls...
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Roberta - Brazil
5.0 out of 5 stars Lindo!
Reviewed in Brazil on August 5, 2020
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Pode-se ler normalmente ou seguindo a melodia da música Over in the Meadow. Figuras maravilhosas. Para os pequenos, ótimo jeito de mostrar sequência númerica e introduzir ludicamente subtração.
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Francisca Mora Rivilla
5.0 out of 5 stars Alucinante
Reviewed in Spain on July 1, 2015
Verified Purchase
Increíble las ilustraciones, son una maravilla de artesanía con fimo, realmente te puedes quedar hipnotizada mirando cada detalle del trabajo tan bien hecho.
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bluyonda
5.0 out of 5 stars Take the Plunge!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 8, 2009
Verified Purchase
Exquisite vibrant Polymer clay illustrations by Jeanette Canyon, stunningly photographed on every page. A delightful 1 - 10 number rhyme by Marianne Berkes, in bold, simple text on every other page.

Search for sea creatures beneath the depths, meet rhyming words, count to ten and back to one. Some things need to be looked for carefully, encouraging concentration and perseverance with the delight of finally finding. Scope for discussion is vast and joy to be had loosing yourself amongst the coral.

The rhyme introduces you, one by one to the sea creatures which seem to swim right out of the pages. Underneath each rhyme see the number etched into the sand with corresponding star fish. The back page has a list of suggested hand and finger actions for each of the sea creatures ~ Octopus, Parrotfish, Clownfish, Stingray, Pufferfish, Dolphin, Angelfish, Needlefish, Gruntfish and Seahorse.

Measurements approx:- Length: 7 3/4 " 20 cm Height: 6 3/4 " 17 cm Depth: 1/2 " 1.5 cm

Strong wipe clean pages, though not as rigid as some we have. Superb visual clarity and short verses make this very baby & toddler friendly. From our Ocean Box of goodies, this book is one of the highlights! Most highly recommended, gorgeous!

_____>(<')__________________________>(<')__________________________('>)<___________________('>)<_____
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Josephine B.
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on May 5, 2018
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Such beautiful art
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