Patterns at the Seashore

This colorful book from the Seeing Patterns All Around series offers examples of patterns that children might notice at the beach (e.g., red-and-white stripes on a row of deck chairs) or in the ocean (e.g., white spots and lines on a whale-shark’s skin). A typical double-page spread includes a few simply written, large-type sentences illustrated by a large stock photo and, sometimes, a smaller one as well. Occasionally, more than one pattern can be found in a picture, but only one is mentioned in the text. Lacking a definition of pattern, even in the glossary, the text would be more useful if it were more precise. Still, the illustrations offer examples of patterns that teachers and parents can use in explaining the concept. Recommended for larger collections.