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Picture Book Review: When Elephants Lived in the Sea, by Jane Godwin and Vincent Agostino
Reviewed by Sally Murphy
An outstanding offering.
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When the world was young, elephants lived in the sea like the whale and the dugong. As sea animals, elephants swam gracefully, diving and rolling, and floating when they needed to rest. Their trunks were snorkels and their legs were like fins. Then, as the world changed and the seas began smaller, elephants began to evolve until eventually they became land animals with strong legs and saggy skin. But even today, when elephants do come across water, they swim , roll and dive, remembering their origins as sea animals.When Elephants Lived in the Sea is a delightful picture book which takes a nonfiction basis but makes gorgeous use of language to really draw young readers in to this fascinating piece of natural history. Author Jane Godwin doesn’t tell us that elephants could swim – instead she says: They dived, explored, snorted, splashed, rolling with the ocean like a swell. This poetic use of language creates a sense of wonder and whimsy which will keep young readers spellbound. The acrylic illustrations, by Vincent Agostino, use gorgeous aquas and earthy tones in a wonderful complement to the text. A back of book information page provides further understanding of the evolution process. This is an outstanding offering. 
When Elephants Lived in the Sea, by Jane Godwin and Vincent Agostino
Lothian, 2006 You can buy this book online at Fishpond
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