Ocean: A Visual Miscellany
This strikingly visual, impressively holistic consideration of the oceans incorporates science, history, mythology and geography alongside experiments, crafts and witty asides. The content is carefully paced, never overwhelming with facts and skilfully balancing informative sections with open ended questions and activities.
Originally published in Portugal by the innovative Pato Lógico, there is a seriously artful feel to this book. Monochromatic pages are soaked in deep blue with black accents. Illustrations are a combination of pencil and analogue printing techniques. The fonts are carefully selected to complement the aesthetic. Paper is heavy, and binding luxurious. The end-papers are a joy.
It’s telling that Chronicle Books credits the book’s author, illustrator, designer, and font, but not the translator. The text is informative, and there is some arch humour – but at times the sentences are clunky. This is a minor quibble. Slightly more pronounced is my quibble with the section on the history on the first Europeans in America. This issue is easily resolved with a judicious pencil line through the sentence crediting Leif Erikson with the first European arrival, and the insertion of your own concise summary of Brendan the Navigator. This can be viewed as yet another invitation to engage with this truly beautiful book. Furthermore it’s a wonderful opportunity for a dinner-table discussion of the subjective nature of written history – and who gets to write it – over page 27’s recipe for Caldeirada (Portuguese fish stew). Perfect for 8-12-year-olds, and anyone with an appreciation for truly beautiful books.
