My Ocean Is Blue

故事以一句「這是我的海洋」展開，一名女孩牽著母親的手走過沙丘，開始用自己的方式認識大海。她所看到的海，既黏滑也沙沙，既閃亮也黯淡；會拍打、轟鳴，也會靜靜低語。顏色在眼前層層展開，從鏽橘、淡白到拋光的綠色，而「大多時候，它是藍的」。故事描述行動不便的女孩參與海邊一日，溫和地傳達共融與適應的力量，並獲《School Library Journal》星級好評。

"This is my ocean," the young girl begins as she heads over the dunes with her mother. Then, as they pass the whole day at the seaside, she lyrically describes her ocean in simple, sensory detail. It's both "slimy" and "sandy," "sparkly" and "dull." It has wonderful sounds, as it "splashes and crashes and echoes and squawks." And it contains so many colors, from "rusted orange" to "runaway red," "faded white" to "polished green." Though "mostly it's blue." Nothing the girl experiences escapes her careful observation and appreciation. And at day's end, she can't wait for her next trip to the beach.

Author Darren Lebeuf, an award-winning photographer, uses spare text and a rhythmic style to create an evocative read-aloud. The vivid adjectives, both concrete and abstract, will inspire children to try to capture in words what they notice not only at the ocean, but in any natural setting. The bright, richly colored cut-paper collage illustrations by Ashley Barron add a captivating visual texture and depth to the story. The portrayal of a girl with a physical disability enjoying and actively participating in a day at the beach encourages all children to do the same in their own lives, while also offering a character education lesson in adaptability. This book has strong curriculum ties to primary nature units and life science lessons on oceans and the seaside, and it offers a perfect focus for nature-based education and outdoor classrooms.