In this gently told picture book, a young girl is unhappy about having to leave the city for a family vacation on the Pacific Ocean (which she used to call the Specific Ocean). As the days pass, however, she is drawn to spend more time in and near the water, feeling moved by its beauty and rhythms. The ocean does its own thing, rolling backward and forward. Wash, swash, splush, hush. There is no late or hurry or racing in ocean time. By the end of the vacation, the girl has grown to love the ocean and now feels reluctant to leave it behind. But as she soon realises, it doesn’t ever have to leave her. Calm. Blue. Ruffled. Gray. Playful. Green. Mysterious. Black. Foggy. Silver. Roaring. White. No matter where I am, this specific ocean will be with me.
Author Kyo Maclear has written a sweet and evocative love story about the magic and wonder of the ocean. Katty Maurey’s softly drawn illustrations maintain the poetic feel of the text, while bringing to life the imagery of the seaside, adding a wonderful richness to the pages. This book would make a lyrical read-aloud that could lull young children into an appreciation for the peaceful joy found in nature. It also presents a compelling emotional component to why conserving our natural spaces is important, and would work well for any classroom science discussion on the environment or on the ocean as a habitat and ecosystem. AGES: 4-8 AUTHOR: Kyo is a self-professed spork — her father is British and her mother is Japanese. She was born in England, where she enjoyed a brief theatrical career in London’s West End. At age four, in the midst of a very snowy winter, she and her parents moved to Canada. Later Kyo attended university, where she pursued a degree in Art History and Cultural Studies. Kyo now resides in Toronto, where she shares a home with two children, a cat, a musician and a lot of books. In addition to writing, she likes to listen to music, watch old movies, do yoga, make art and play around in her bright, open kitchen. Spork, the story of a mixed kitchen utensil and Kyo’s debut book for children, was originally conceived with her husband to celebrate the birth of their first child. As well as writing for children, Kyo is a novelist and a visual-arts writer.