Hevron, Amy. Sunken Ship. Beach Lane Books. 978-1-665-93500-5. 44 p. $18.99. Grades K-4.

When a treasure ship sinks to the bottom of the ocean, some might assume that’s the end of its story. But, as the crew swims to safety, the ship settles onto the seabed, ready to begin its new life as an artificial reef. This book details the many creatures that make the sunken ship their new home. Sea lettuce and algae wash into the hull, schools of spadefish dine on swirls of plankton, and coral larvae cling to the boat’s ballasts. As time goes on, more and more creatures are born in and around the wreck, even as it continues sinking into the sandy sea floor. Scallops, stingrays, sea turtles, and eels all find safe places to shelter in the ship’s shadow. Acrylic, marker, and pencil illustrations feature sea life in a rainbow of colors swimming against blue-hued backgrounds. Double-page spreads offer large-scale glimpses of the sunken ship, and other pages feature a 3-panel designs that invite close-up looks into different parts of the wreck. An Author’s Note details how this book was inspired by the Spanish treasure ship the San Pedro which sank off the coast of Florida during a hurricane in 1733. 

THOUGHTS: Readers will appreciate the easy-to-digest tidbits of information about the shipwreck and the many creatures who call it home. Alliteration and sound effects make this a fun read-aloud, and students will enjoy examining the ship diagram on the book’s opening pages. This is sure to be popular with nonfiction fans, and it will be an interesting addition to units about ecosystems. 

577.7 Marine Ecology