A IS FOR AUSTRALIAN REEFS

Admire the astonishing biodiversity of Australian coral reefs.

Lessac, who has written and illustrated numerous informational books about places around the world, here focuses on her home country. The volume is organized alphabetically, starting with A for Australian reefs (which discusses fringing and patch reefs and includes a map of reefs surrounding Australia) and B for biodiversity, to, finally, Z for zebra seahorses. Each spread includes a topic overview and a few brief paragraphs of further material likely to appeal to young readers. Sometimes, if the alphabet permits, there are two topics on a spread—like parrot fish and peacock shrimp or urchins and violet sea apples. Lessac profiles four different types of sharks whose names begin with W (whale sharks, whitetip reef sharks, walking sharks, and wobbegongs). Her detailed gouache paintings emphasize the colors, patterns, and varieties of the reef’s coral and fish. A final page invites readers to go back and spot 12 different fish species found throughout. The information is accurate, and the lively images reward attention. This title joins a long line of coral reef celebrations, though it stands out for its stress on biodiversity, even occasionally showing how the many species are connected. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Sure to cultivate a sense of wonder at an oceanic ecosystem.