'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.'
- author Jackie French

Friday, May 24, 2024

Review: How to Measure the Ocean

How to Measure the Ocean
is the creation of Inda Ahmad Zahri, an author and illustrator who originally trained as a surgical doctor!

How would you measure something as big as the ocean? Is it even posible?

How to Measure the Ocean explores concepts associated with maths and geography. There are lines and patterns, shells and tides, volume and equations, the water cycle, and more.

It encourages curiousity and learning from the world around you, and shows that the ocean is so much more than a boundless and infinite body of water.

The illustrations in How to Measure the Ocean are a mix of perspectives, exploring the ocean from different angles and experiences.

One of the beautiful double page spreads requires rotating the book to look at properly. It's a cross-section and at the top children float on an inflatable ring. Below them is an array of underwater creatures, beginning with smaller fish and crabs at the top, followed by other, somewhat larger animals as you get futher underwater.

Another is labelled to help explain the stages in the water cycle, from the ocean to the sky and back again. There's also a step-by-step diagram showing how to fold an origami boat. 

How to Measure the Ocean is a beautiful book that encourages readers to think about things that might be difficult, to look for solutions.

Title: How to Measure the Ocean
Author/Illustrator:  Inda Ahmad Zahri
Publisher: Allen & Unwin, $ 24.99
Publication Date: April 2024
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781761180361
For ages: 4+
Type: Picture Book