Barnacle Bay

Gr 1-3–This debut graphic novel follows Crab and Larva as they investigate Barnacle Bay and what it has to offer. After the tide sweeps Larva into the bay, Crab agrees to show the newcomer around and help them find the perfect place to call home. They visit the kelp bed, some anemones, a variety of mollusks, and the echinoderms—sea star, sea urchin, and sea cucumber. Readers will learn along with Larva that kelp beds are important ecosystems, anemones form symbiotic relationships with clown fish and hermit crabs, and not all mollusks have shells. There are diagrams of several species, as well as explanations of crab and barnacle life cycles. The digitally rendered illustrations show various species of sea life in an approachable way. For readers who enjoy wordplay, there are numerous puns; “comm-ocean,” “best fronds,” and “sea-rious,” for example. An interactive section on mollusks encourages readers to point out which species are motile, sessile, bivalves, or univalves.