Not only did the ending seem rather slapdash, but there is also the problem of consistency. I was left with an awkward, overall “huh?” feeling. The real kicker comes on the last page, however, after his babies are born, when our protagonist, who up until now has been anthropomorphized as a wholesome father figure, suddenly and all too soon declares that while he loves his newborn children, they “are now ready to be on own” and the story ends as the baby seahorses swim away. The illustrations are (true to typical Eric Carle style) gorgeous and colorful, but the glossy transparencies that are occasionally sandwiched in between the pages seemed a bit forced and random, as if the publishers just wanted to come up with something new with which to dazzle kids. The story, clearly intended to instruct children on how the role of the father in nature can take on many forms, follows a seahorse as he bumps into various other animal fathers in the ocean who happen to be taking care of their offspring too.
You know those picture books that are just plain *strange*? - the ones where the illustrations don't make sense or overshadow the plot line, or where the narrative is pointless and pedantic? This is one of those books. I picked it up before picture book time once, thinking to myself "Anything by Eric Carle must be at least decent, right?" Big mistake. Repetitive and bizarre, this story might just be the only Eric Carle book I’m not wild about.
Perfect for a read aloud at home or the library, this book would also work well in a preschool or grade one classroom, perhaps as part of a unit on science, ecology, or even the family (stressing the fact that in the ocean, it is often "Mister Seahorse" and other males which take care of and protect the offspring). Recommended for young children interested in science, sea creatures, ecology, Mister Seahorse is simple and fun enough to be understood and appreciated by most toddlers, but involved, detailed and busy enough to be enjoyed by slightly older children as well (up to and including ages five or six, perhaps even seven or eight).
With a simple, informative text, combined with Eric Carle's magical, colourful illustrations (I love all of them, but I think my favourite is the depiction of the lion fish hiding among the coral reefs), this absolute gem of a picture book demonstrates in a fun, but educational manner that especially in the ocean, it is often the male of the species that hatches and watches over the eggs, the new generation.
0 kommentar(er)
