• Age: 5 to 9
• Grade: k to 4

During an ordinary visit to the library, a girl pulls a not-so-ordinary book from the shelves. As she turns the pages in this book about coral reefs, the city around her slips away and she finds herself surrounded by the coral cities of the sea and the mysterious plants and animals that live, hunt, and hide there.

Chin's approach makes this book a must-have common core tool for teachers and librarians introducing scientific principals to young students.

Jason Chin's profile page

• Long-listed, Kansas Bill Martin Jr. Picture Book Award Master List
• Long-listed, Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List

Jason Chin is the author and artist of the award-winning bookRedwoods, which Kirkus Reviews called, "An inventive eye-opening adventure." His work also includes illustrations for Simon Winchester'sThe Day the World Exploded. He and his wife Deirdre, also an artist, live in Vermont.

“Information and fantasy collaborate in this imaginative introduction to coral reefs.” —BCCB

“Chin offers a colorful and inventive introduction to coral reefs.” —School Library Journal

“Chin, who pioneered this hybrid form of straightforward nonfiction text and fanciful pictures withRedwoods(2009), offers another a statement about the power of reading for an imaginative child with this appealing introduction to a complex world.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Chin's detailed illustrations capture the dappled light of shallow water and the bright tropical colors and patterns in the featured flora and fauna…. Readers shouldn't skip the information at the back, which explains the serious problem of coral bleaching due to global warming.” —Horn Book Magazine

“Chin's latest book offers a straightforward text discussing coral reefs, while the well-composed illustrations create an imaginative narrative running in parallel.” —Booklist