Mister Seahorse Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Mister Seahorse
Book Review: Great book
Summary: 5 Stars
Eric Carle is so creative, and my kids are very interested in his work. This book wonderfully captures the way several different sea creatures carry the eggs of their children before they're born, and all of the carriers are male. It's totally original and manages to be sweet too, so it definatley appeals to the young reader.Book Review: Awsome and a Great Story
Summary: 5 Stars
You will love this book. It has great, colorful pictures. It is a great story. It is written wonderfully. I give it an A+!His stories are allways awsome!Book Review: Awsome and a Great Story
Summary: 5 Stars
You will love this book. It has great, colorful pictures. It is a great story. It is writen wonderfully. I give it an A+!Book Review: The best dad in Davy Jones' locker
Summary: 4 Stars
I think I am right in saying that Eric Carle is the most popular children's picture book artist living today that eschews the universal convention of facial expressions. Not every illustrator in the world could get away with it. Carle has sort of established a whole new placid unemotional genre all on his own. Consider, if you will, "The Hungry Hungry Caterpillar" who shows one brief moment of bellyache related pain before bursting from his cocoon to become a beautiful unexpressive butterfly. For my own part, this disregard of facial expressions is hard to get through. In one of his latest offerings, "Mister Seahorse", Carle tackles the weighty subject of a father's responsibility to his kin. Since I like this book more than some of Carle's others, I suggest you take the hero's nonplussed attitude as merely a realistic representation of real seahorses in the wild.
One day, Mrs. Seahorse becomes preggers. As is the seahorse custom, she promptly deposits her eggs in Mr. Seahorse's pouch. With the eggs safely ensconced there, Mr. Seahorse goes about his daily rounds. While out, he comes across Mr. Stickleback, Mr. Tilapia, Mr. Kurtus, Mr. Pipe, and Mr. Bullhead. Each fish has his own distinct way of caring for his born and unborn young. For example, Mr. Bullhead baby-sits (admittedly, Carle could have used a better term for this) his newborn hatchlings while Mr. Tilapia carries his young's eggs around in his mouth. Kids reading this book with their parents have the added pleasure of watching Mr. Seahorse as he approaches single fishies hiding in seaweed, behind coral reefs, and in small patches of reeds. In these scenes the page becomes translucent plastic, the reeds, reefs, and seaweed a beautifully painted scene overlaying the action. In the end, Mr. Seahorse's eggs hatch and as one of his little offspring attempts to go back to the pouch he remarks affectionately, "I do love you, but now you are ready to be on your own". Hence the popularity this book has enjoyed as a newfound graduation present for high school Seniors everywhere.
On the back of the book, Carle posts a note that explains how in most fish families eggs are left on their own. This book encompasses the exceptions to that rule, going as far as to show that the father is the main parent in certain cases. Rare but true. The premise is irresistable. One that I'm sure several children's authors are probably kicking themselves for not having thought of on their own first. Flipping through the story, Carle has passed over his normal palette of bright primary colors for deft pastel watercolors. They're still exciting to look through, but there's a definite underwater feel to the luminous pinks, blues, greens and oranges that abound here. According to the book, the art was done in painted tissue-paper collage. The result is a deft interweaving of crinkly creatures in soothing but lively shades.
There is, of course, the writing itself to contend with. Now I'm saying right here and now that this book's premise is good and its art is good. No arguments there. But there's just not much of a plot. It's a simple formulation of "Mr. Seahorse goes here, sees this, goes there, talks to that" repeated roughly four times. Characters do not smile. They speak without a conjunction in sight. It's all lovely to look at and your first reading of the book will be delighted. Your second reading will be a smidgen repetitive, but you'll still love the pretty pictures. And by reading number fifteen you'll begin to wonder why Mr. Seahorse didn't have a little more fun with his eggs. Or ask other fathers more questions. Or even crack a joke once in a while. These complaints, I should admit, are more to do with Eric Carle's writing style and less the flaws of this book in particular. Still, though this book is a beautiful story, it leaves something to be desired.
If you're looking for a good science-based book with excellent information about underwater creatures and an interesting series of facts about male fishies, there are few books better than, "Mr. Seahorse". If you want a story about a father saying goodbye to his offspring and letting them out into the world, "Mr. Seahorse" is your best bet. And if you want a book that is beautiful to look at and contains unparalled watercolors and nifty tricks to make you feel as if you too are under the sea, give it up for, "Mr. Seahorse". But if you want an underwater tale with oomph and pizzazz, choose Leo Lionni's, "Swimmy". This book is far better than "Rainbow Fish", but it still lacks the spirit of little red "Swimmy". In the end, it's an excellent tale in some respects and a mediocre one in others. Depending on what you hope to get out of your picture books, it should satisfy or disappoint you as much as you like. I enjoyed it. Not everyone would.
Book Review: Wonderful Eric Carle book with an interesting twist
Summary: 4 Stars
Like all Eric Carle books it's a beautifuly colored and in his signature style. It features different hidden characters behind acetate.
What make this particularly interesting is that it's all about marine life where the males handle the eggs and not the females.
I found that wonderfully educational to show my kids different sea creatures where the dads carry around the eggs in many many different ways. In their mouths, on their bellies, in pouches etc. until they hatch. I was surprized and loved to see and explain that!
It's a simple concept, whereby if a mom sea creature were to be introduced it would not only physically complicate the illustrated pages, it would also distract from the simplicity of the storyline.
So where are the moms? Does it matter? There's references galore as to how happy the Mrs. must be. This book doesn't suggest single parenting, alternative lifestyles, or anything other than the simple reckognition of marine species caring for their offspring completely different than animals and people and illustrating the differences to children in a simple and eye opening way. It's a "well what do you know"! "Look at how that one does that"! for preschoolers. Simple concepts.
4 stars for refering to one sea creatures particular parental duty as "babysitting" not parenting...
BUT on a very simple note, just tell your child as I did, "oops, that should be parenting and not babysitting because parents can't babysit their own kids, that's their job" NO BIG DEAL. It's pretty darn easy to use some parental wisdom to make that correction. It brings up 2 more lessons. Nobody is perfect and everything that's in print isn't neccesarily the truth (well, an older kids lesson). Eric Carle is an older gentleman. Perhaps it's from his generation or maybe he doesn't have any kids.
I think that the reality and the simplicity of the story makes up for one silly notion that can simply be corrected. No need to make mountains out of mole hills.