Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef

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.

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.

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.

Every teacher needs this book. It's not just for young grades who are learning to count, but for older grades who are learning about organisms, habitats, and the animal kingdom!! It is so chalk full of information! The opportunities to use it in the classroom abound! The illustrations are amazing! The song is wonderful, and easy for children to learn, not to mention that it is a melody that many children already know. The best buy!

---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.

Our daughter is now 22 months old, and loves all the books in this series. The artwork is beautiful, and is noteworthy because it is actually pictures of scenes that the authors created out of polymer clay. So, when you see the seahorses on the cover of the book, that's a photo of a scene created out of clay. The level of detail is simply remarkable, and the artwork is creative and entertaining for both children and adults. The books also lay the groundwork for counting, but not in an overtly 'teaching' way, but simply as part of cute rhymes and logical progressions of the pages. This book (and all the 'Over in the...' series) are perennial favorites, and our daughter stays engaged from cover to cover virtually every reading, which is the ultimate compliment from her.

I checked this book out of the library and we loved it so much I had to buy it. The artwork alone is so captivating. There is so much detail in the clay it just blows me away every time we read it. And, it inspired me to get my daughter (only 6) some air dry clay and she has made some wonderful creations.

Over in the Ocean is another of the series of books by Marianne Berkes and Jeanette Canyon. Each uses the format of "Over in the Meadow" to tell the story of the animals in different habitats. Each story connects parent animals with their babies beginning with number 1 continuing to 10. The story uses rhythm and rhyme to tell about the animals and the region in which they live.

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.

This is a great book about the ocean for children and I like how it follows the over in the meadow song, so you can even sing the words if you want. I gave it to my 3 year old daughter while we were on a cruise and she loved it so much we read it every night, sometimes more than once. The board book is very sturdy and well made.

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.

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.

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.

Every teacher needs this book. It's not just for young grades who are learning to count, but for older grades who are learning about organisms, habitats, and the animal kingdom!! It is so chalk full of information! The opportunities to use it in the classroom abound! The illustrations are amazing! The song is wonderful, and easy for children to learn, not to mention that it is a melody that many children already know. The best buy!

---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.

Our daughter is now 22 months old, and loves all the books in this series. The artwork is beautiful, and is noteworthy because it is actually pictures of scenes that the authors created out of polymer clay. So, when you see the seahorses on the cover of the book, that's a photo of a scene created out of clay. The level of detail is simply remarkable, and the artwork is creative and entertaining for both children and adults. The books also lay the groundwork for counting, but not in an overtly 'teaching' way, but simply as part of cute rhymes and logical progressions of the pages. This book (and all the 'Over in the...' series) are perennial favorites, and our daughter stays engaged from cover to cover virtually every reading, which is the ultimate compliment from her.

I checked this book out of the library and we loved it so much I had to buy it. The artwork alone is so captivating. There is so much detail in the clay it just blows me away every time we read it. And, it inspired me to get my daughter (only 6) some air dry clay and she has made some wonderful creations.

Over in the Ocean is another of the series of books by Marianne Berkes and Jeanette Canyon. Each uses the format of "Over in the Meadow" to tell the story of the animals in different habitats. Each story connects parent animals with their babies beginning with number 1 continuing to 10. The story uses rhythm and rhyme to tell about the animals and the region in which they live.

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.

This is a great book about the ocean for children and I like how it follows the over in the meadow song, so you can even sing the words if you want. I gave it to my 3 year old daughter while we were on a cruise and she loved it so much we read it every night, sometimes more than once. The board book is very sturdy and well made.

I like that sea animals are introduced in a beautiful and entertaining way and some, like the squid, are not as commonly spoken of.

Very cute story with beautiful pictures. My little ones really loved it. It was also patterned text making it easier for students to follow along and read parts of it with me.

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.

This book, as well as

Love this book. The story is cute.. The illustrations are unique, colorful, and eye pleasing. My granddaughter absolutely loves it!

My kids adore this book and would check it out from our local library over and over. So, it made sense for us to own it. It is colorful and bright and if you are a fan of the 'Over in the Meadow' song, you and your kids will enjoy this book, also. *our dog just got ahold of it this week and chewed it up, so we will be purchasing a new one!* 😢

I have the print version and love this book but I was very disappointed in the Kindle version of this book. Viewing this in the Kindle app on my iPad Air2. The book is only displayed as spreads. I could not find any way to view the book as single pages. And, I could not zoom in to see the details of the artwork.I have returned the Kindle version of this book. The iBooks version is much better.

Cute story and lovely artwork: reason for 3 stars is the material of the book. It is not a sturdy hard book, it is like a thick magazine. The material makes it hard to keep the book open and appreciate the fun artwork. Would recommend but only if your okay with a book that doesn't easily stay open.

Product listed as “good”. What I received is like new! I’m pleasantly surprised.

We bought this book for my 4 yr old's Ocean themed birthday party. She LOVES books so reading seemed a natural activity to work in. (plus it's cheap and way less messy than crafts ;) The back of the book has simple "finger play" motions we taught the kids to do, it went over really well! And it was a pleasure to read, even over and over ahead of time so my own girls could master the motions first.

Over in the Ocean by Marianne Berkes is just incredibly beautiful, full of accurate information and so entertaining for ALL ages. I use it in the classes that I teach in Reading AND Science! I LOVE that Ms. Berkes writes beautiful books that are factual and inspire children to want to care for the world we all occupy. THANK YOU, Ms. Berkes!

My granddaughter loves this book. What better review can that be.

I don't sing the song - I just read the book and its great. The book is wonderfully illustrated and introduces a lot of interesting animals that can be studied in a unit on the coral reef. Overall, I am very happy that I found this book.

One of my favorites to read with my grandkids. The illustrations are superb. Even the tiny babies loved staring at the pictures!

Book fits well with my sister's school library.

My Grandniece amazed me when she read this story to me three weeks after her birthday. We gifted the book to her for her fourth birthday since she LOVES seahorses. The illustrations and the verses captivated her and she was even interested in all of the information at the end of the book - factual about the sea creatures and the process of "sculpting" the pictures. The imagery, modeled in clay then photographed is rich and visually delicious as is the story...sure to become one of the favorites in her library. She brought it to school to read to her classmates too! I love this book and would recommend it for any person of any age who appreciates creative genius...and loves the sea!

Pre-K class loved this book! Ocean animals they had not seen. Artwork beautifully done.

Ordered this book, in addition to two copies of I'll Follow the Moon by Stephanie Lisa Tara and one copy of Mrs. Tara's other Turtle Book, for my granddaughter's kindergarten (4K) class. We have one copy of I'll Follow the Moon to her school library and the other three books to her teachers. It was a surprise that they loved. Gifts that will truly keep on giving for years to come.

I don't know if I would have bought it had a known the illustrations are the way they are. They are a bit strange with the clay, but my kid loves the book! It is really quite cute.

We had this book for our (almost 3 year old) grandson here at our house and he just loved the pictures and counting...he is very into all things under the sea right now. So, we bought another one for him to have at home. Lovely pictures, story and counting!

My five year old son loved Over the Ocean in a Coral Reef so much we kept checking it out of the library. I finally purchased the book and also purchased Over in the Jungle. Both books are beautifully written but especially beautifully illustrated. I especially like the information in the back of the books about the animals depicted in the story. We have read the stories over and over none of us ever tire of reading them, nor looking at the beautiful illustrations.

A new story time favorite and great for musical/rhyming sessions with my preschooler.

Study. Bright illustration.

I thought the images artwork was gorgeous but a little to busy for kiddos to admire from a distance... (classroom setting)

My son loves this book and the tune that goes along with it! The artwork in this book is absolutely stunning. It is really memorable to have a book that has a song that goes along with it. I highly recommend for beginner readers!! It does counting, music, and reading all in one. We love this book!

My 19mo old daughter loves this book. I think she would have me read it at naptime and bedtime everyday. Cute rhymes with a little education thrown in here and there. The art work that went into each page is fantastic. Lots to look at!!

This is a wonderful counting book for my grandchildren with great pictures. I also read it to kindergarten students and they all enjoyed it.

I can't begin to describe how lovely and detailed the pictures are. I'm in awe of the artist's patience in sculpting every one of these little scenes in clay. The colors are vivid and eye-catching. That being said the book is a bit too long and repetitive for my two year old, but that isn't the book's fault, and he'll like it when he's a little older.

Fast delivery. My grand-daughter will love it. Cute & colorful. Thanks.

This was a gift for a little boy who lives near the ocean. Wonderful, colorful pages. Wonderful, rhythmic lines.

We love the pictures in this book. The book is a nice read now, but they have a game set up in the end (find the animals) that will be more fun when our child is older. We like to give this book as a gift since we live by the ocean - and it reflects us as a family.

Excellent as always

In case anyone is wondering there is no cd included. I was under the impression that there was one, but no. It's a good book but would not recommend for toddlers (18 months-3 years old)

This has become one of my favorite children's books. All the kids love it. The colors are vibrant. The use of polymer clay for illustrations is genius. It's a must-have in our house, and I buy it for all my friends.

good art work, dont read the book, sing it

We have a family trip to Mexico every spring, this year our family has grown to include a little grandson who loves books. This will be perfect for bedtime after a day at the beach.

Great book! My 4 year old nephew loves sea creatures, so he loves this book. He practically memorized it after just a few readings. Love the cadence of the text as you read it. And the artwork is lovely. I highly recommend this book!

My infant/toddler students loved it!

I had this book years ago and forgot about it as I worked with older children. Now that I am back in the lower grades I wanted this book again. The book is colorful and the children enjoy singing along.

Cute read for youngster. Beautiful artwork

Great colors and art, fun story and perfect birthday gift for 3 year old!

This book is so very beautiful, and will be great for years because the illustrations are exciting for our baby now, and later the rhyming, counting and searching within the illustrations will be great too. Excellent book... a favorite for mommy and baby.

Very cute rhyming book. My granddaughter who loves anything aquatic loves this book! The artwork is really nice and quite realistic.

Great book! Beautiful illustrations!

Fantastic rhyming book with great pictures and facts. All her books are wonderful, but this is a favorite! Highly recommend!

Grandkids ages 41/2 and 2 1/2 loved this book. They appreciated it on different levels. (4 1/2 would say "now let's count them all together" after each page. Really fun

I think this is a beautiful book. My daughter loves the ocean, and this has helped her understanding of part of it with lovely illustrations. I would buy this book again.

I bought it because I was hoping that it would be similar to Over in the Meadow! Well, it is wonderful too. The pictures are beautiful and the kids will love it and want to hear it over and over!

Very cute

The illustrations are absolutely beautiful

Nice read, kept my son's and my students interest! This book was enjoyed by all! A good purchase in my opinion! great story great pictures

This was one of the only things that could keep my daughter on her stomach long enough for tummy time. I had the whole book memorized in no time, and would often sing/read it to her in the car to help her calm down!

This book is adorable. While the actual story itself is geared towards younger kids the art work made it really interesting to my five year old.

I love the pictures that are so unique, and it's a book I look forward to reading to my daughter because of it's great rhythm and fun rhyme.

Can't wait to give this book to my grandson for an upcoming family vacation. WE are going to a tropical island so I thought he might enjoy stories about the ocean.

I was pleased with the product.

BEAUTIFUL illustrations. Great vocabulary and well-written to a song that is fun to sing. My daughter is 14mo and loves all books, but this is one of her very favorites.

Wonderful and whimsical artwork. The toddler loves looking for the all the sea creatures. She doesn't know it but she's learning. Was a fast favorite at bedtime.

My Literacy Buddy requested a book about oceans so I sent this one to her. Her pre-k teacher said it was her favorite book.

fantastic illustrations, interesting subject for toddlers, pretty good rhymes, and gives you suggestions for hand motions.

Cute version of an old standby.

This book is a great book for students to get an overview of the ocean wildlife and environment. Colorful pictures and good information.

LOVE it thank you!!!

Great illustrations! Used this is my first grade class during a lesson on counting!

Really enjoyed this book!

I bought this book for my son's birthday after he fell in love with it from the library. It has beautiful illustrations and you can sing the story with the melody of "over in the meadow". We also purchased the CD from the author's website where she reads the story and sings the song afterwards. Lovely gift idea too!!

Purchased 2 of these for my grand girls and they love them. The artwork is beautiful and adults will love looking at the creativeness of the ocean scenes.

Nice little book ....

Fantastic art, clever rhymes, real sea animals, and more than one way to count.

The illustrations are beautiful. The flow and rhythm of the book is great.

This book is one of our favorites! The song that goes along with it has the mom/dad sing the verse and the child echo what the baby sea animal echoes. So fun that my kids who are now grown wanted to buy it as a gift for cousins having kids.

My students loved this book and returned to read it again and again. This book fit perfectly into our student of oceans unit.

love this book for my preschoolers.

I bought this book for my daughter when she was almost three, and she's four now and still loves it. I also enjoy the creative art in the book. It has an almost 3D-ish effect.

My baby loves the bright colors of the pictures and it is a fun rhyme that she has started to recognize whenever I start reading it.

great book

Daughter loves this book.

This is my boy's favorite book. The uniquely illustrated pages have captured his attention and he squeals in excitement each time I get it out for him. A must have book for babies and kids!

Great book.

My daughter loves ocean animals and to have a book helping her count as well, it's a winner.

Great book!

Wonderful book for kids, goes to the tune of a song. If you know it, it's great! Check it out.

Very clever with beautiful pictures. Our preschooler loved it.

It's so perfect!! a fun read ... love the rhyming ... love kids learning about our ocean life. Future generations need to be taught to respect and preserve these animals, not how to manipulate them for a profit ... eff you SeaWorld! Empty the tanks!!! and please don't be captivated by captivity ... there is no beauty in stolen freedom.

While the pictures are great and it is a good concept, it has not been a big hit with my 17 month old daughter yet.

Just what I needed

I bought it because I do polymer clay and I was interested in how the artist used it in illustrations

The product was listed as hardcover. I was sent a board book. Beware. This is the second time amazon has misrepresented a children's book I purchased.

Really upset with the way I got the book. It had some terse on it. And the person didn't mention anything about it. I would not recommend it. Really sad for what I had to pay for it

When my best friend was pregnant, I searched and searched for just the right books to give her as a baby shower gift. In my mind's eye, I saw her as a mother; and, I knew she would want to share important activities, hobbies and experiences with her children. Those lucky little ones would have a mother who'd take every opportunity to read and sing to and with them. They'd also grow up, as their mother and I did, in a small beach town where a love and respect for the powerful might and awe-inspiring majesty of the ocean is necessary - for safety and so that the community can continue to thrive. What does all of this have to do with Marianne Berkes' (Author) and Jeanette Canyon's (Illustrator) "Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef..."? Well, everything! I spent hours each week scouring Amazon as I tried to find a special book about the beach or the ocean. I needed more than the subject matter, though; I wanted a story with prose so good it sang right off the page. I sought a book where exquisite illustrations were an integral part of the story, not just "there" because children's books were supposed to be illustrated. In short, I was searching for a novel voice and "Over in the Ocean" delivered on every count and then surpassed all of my expectations.It is a work of genius that will have children and parents singing, dancing and learning to count for generations to come...

When my son is not yet two-and-a-half, and could count to ten by himself. What does that have to do with this book? Well, Over in the Ocean is a counting-to-ten book, and he has heard this story repeatedly. Never underestimate the power of reading to your children. Over in the Ocean is also a "song" book (to the tune of Over in the Meadow), and it is a beautifully, polymer clay, illustrated book. It is also another book by my friendly acquaintance, Marianne Berkes. In fact, the first time I heard this book was when the children's library staff was helping her present it to a very full room of children at a summer program. I was really into the song until I got caught out by the seahorse. That one little twist makes the book memorable. And as I've said before, it is beautiful, with its turquoise ocean and brightly colored sea life.

REVIEWED BY: Wayne S. Walker, reviewer with Stories for Children Magazine Have you ever wondered what it is like under the ocean around a coral reef? Following the same rhyming pattern of the popular nineteenth century song "Over in the Meadow" by Olive A. Wadsworth, author Marianne Berkes describes the lives of mother sea creatures and their babies in the coral reef so that children can understand more about them and have fun while learning about nature. One octopus squirts. Two parrotfish grind. Three clownfish dart. Four stingrays stir. Five puffer fish puff. Six dolphins jump. Seven angelfish graze. Eight needlefish skitter. Nine gruntfish grunt. And ten seahorses flutter. As the author notes, "The animals really do squirt, grind, dart, etc., as they have been portrayed." The striking and realistic illustrations by Jeanette Canyon are all constructed entirely from polymer clay. The back of the book has the entire song with the music, along with several curriculum components, including information on ocean family babies, the coral reef community, the animals mentioned in the book, and even descriptions of how the illustrations were made. There is also an explanation of how children can sing the song with different finger or hand movements. In addition, the book reinforces learning to count from one to ten. This book has won several awards, including Learning Magazine's Teacher's Choice Award. Children will find it fascinating both to read the words and see the pictures.

I read this book with my 6, 4 and 2 year old. It was a huge hit. The 2 year old kept touching the illustrations because they are very textured and interesting. It has so many great elements. It helps with rhyming and counting and has an awesome seek and find at the end that all 3 kids could participate in. The final page is a non-fiction information page on all the animals mentioned that allows for further learning. I am also a elementary school teacher. My students will love this book. The pictures are very engaging for a read-a-loud. Also, since this is a part of a series (Over in the Forest, Over in the Jungle and Over in Australia) it would get learners interested in more than one book and topic. A definite great purchase..as are all Marianne Berkes books.

This book gets points for both the text and the visuals. The polymer clay illustrations are vibrant and stunning, full of details. The text, which piggybacks on the "Over in the Meadow" folk song, flows well and doesn't stretch too far for its rhymes, like some other piggybacks do. I've read this with my kids many times and have also used it in my music therapy sessions with pediatric patients. It's repetitive, which preschoolers love, but not boring; gives opportunities to practice counting, and has such engaging visuals. Highly recommended.

beautiful book. illustrations are stunning. for some reason on kindle I can’t see words to every page. My students loved it over our zoom sessions, just wish we could see all the pages.

We love this book at our house! Fantastic, easy to read rhyming combined with wonderful clay illustrations. It's just as much fun to look at as it is to read!

Beautiful illustrations with a nice rhyme.

I absolutely ADORE this book. It's fun to sing and the pictures are just incredible. It's a work of art.

This was a souvenir we purchased at the aquarium this past weekend that I felt compelled to review. What a great little book. It is a fun counting book that educates on undersea creatures while teaching numbers along the way. The illustrations are absolutely mesmerizing. When combined with the rhyming, even the busiest of toddlers will tune in. I am in absolute awe of the illustrations. What a clever twist (photographs of polymer clay) on the usual picture books. Will be picking up the talented illustrator's other books.

BEAUTIFUL illustrations! fits well with "Over In the Meadow" tune. looking forward to using this with my 1st graders this year in music class!

We loved it!

I loved this book when I first laid eyes on it. The colors drew me in immediately! My daughter was little at the time but I read it to her over and over and she loved it. Because it rhymes I was able to use a rhyming voice to go along with it! This is also a great book to use in grades K-2 if they are doing a unit on sea creatures. Loads of learning packed into this book!

My Mom bought this book for my 13 month old son a few days ago. He LOVES this book! We've read it every day, several times a day since then. It's very well written and illustrated and I love that it teaches him to count and find things. We love this book so much; we're buying Over in the Jungle.

My daughters and I enjoy everything about this book from the amazing clay-created illustrations to the singable, educational copy. After borrowing it from the library a number of times (our tried-and-true test for finding good books) we decided to purchase it. It is a perfect book for preschool kids as it reinforces number recognition, introduces unusual ocean life through playful rhymes, and, very importantly, tells them again that playing with clay or playdough is a fabulous creative activity!

Nice read for the children.

Over in the Ocean is one of our families favorite books to read/sing (and give as gifts). There is always something new to discover, learn, find, and count. We never tire of reading this one or Over in the Jungle. The artwork is gorgeous, the stories wonderfully written. It should be in every child's book collection!

This book is beautifully illustrated. It would be a terrific accompaniment to a trip to an aquarium.

The story is great, but I think everyone would agree that the most impressive thing about the book is the pictures done in polymer clay. The detail is exquisite, and incredibly fine-tuned. The only place you will see more detail is on a living coral reef!

the artistry of this book is unsurpassed. the rhyming is cute and fun to recite. the counting aspect is educational and fun. love this book... and so do my 4 and 2 year olds.

The illustrations in this book are amazing! Beautiful and accurate! I love reading this book to my daughter!

This is a great gift for baby shower, or first birthday - kids love this sing songy book with great illustrations. So good that I also ordered 'Over in the Jungle'.

This book is great with music. The text is perfect with the traditional children's song "Over in the Meadow". Singing or chanting the song increases children's attention span and love for this fun, colorful book.

My 1 year old loves this book - the artistry is amazing and really captures her attention! I think it has actually peaked her interest in books. We love it and hope to see more books by this author and illustator!

This book is amazing in every way. From the gorgeous illustrations, the words to the sing along story and the cool facts at the end of the book. I LOVE this book!

This is a really nice book. It has really nice texture and is very beautiful. My son absolutely loves it.

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! _____>(<')__________________________>(<')__________________________('>)<___________________('>)<_____

So the book is self is very colourful and the rhymes are once you get used to saying them are okay. the big problem I have with this book is that page 9 comes before page 8 in the counting and rhyme sequence, therefore I have to go forward then back a page if I want to count to ten in order.

He loves these books

We love this book and have ordered more by the same author