Seashore Life

I received this book as a birthday gift and thoroughly enjoyed it. Although it is being marketed as a children's book, the contents are anything but childish. Simple, clear, and precise, yes, but definitely not "See the red crab. See the red crab walk."The contents are well-organized and packed with facts, an obvious nod to the author's degree in Science Writing.Before reading this book, I thought of the octopus as a deep sea creature; I didn't know it could be found near the low-tide line off of both coasts. I had heard of a whelk, but I didn't know it was a large meat-eating sea snail. I'll avoid a terrible pun about a similar creature that produces a little bubbly music and just say there's a lot of interesting material in this book for adults as well as children. Think of this book more as a "quick guide" rather than a "children's guide."I have to admit that, at first, I didn't fully appreciate the mini-map showing where each critter could be found. I mean the book is about "seashore life," and where else would it be found but on the coastline? However, like a good mystery, the book drew me into the seashore world, and I started examining each map more closely. Yes, the creatures live along the coast, but how far up and down the coast, and on which coast, and...well, you get my point. I was intrigued.The illustrations and photographs are the icing on the cake. The next time my wife and I visit the California Coast, we plan on bringing this book along and going on a fun scavenger hunt!