If You Want to Visit a Sea Garden

July 15, 2020
Imagine taking an early morning walk to a sea garden--the intertidal habitats cultivated by First Nations peoples to increase biodiversity and provide sustainable seafood harvesting. "If you want to visit a sea garden... / ...you'll have to get up really early." Using gentle, second-person narration, Weisman describes what readers would find if they were lucky enough to visit one of these reefs, which have existed for thousands of years along the Pacific Northwest coast. The sights and sounds of the shore are rendered in poetic detail throughout the text, from the "symphony of clams...exhaling" to the barnacle-encrusted rocks. Most compelling are the descriptions of the human community that has gathered around them: "generations of First Peoples who...have come here to build and care for the sea garden, harvest and clean clams, and share knowledge and stories." The sea gardens' significance to First Nations peoples is at the heart of this story, shining a light on Native brilliance and their continued existence. Deft use of shapes, silhouettes, and color in the bold, graphic images emphasizes what a "special place" these reefs truly are. Families who value #ownvoices stories will be glad to learn that the manuscript was vetted by Kwaxsistalla Wathl'thla Clan Chief Adam Dick and illustrated by renowned Indigenous artist Vickers, whose heritage includes T'simshian, Haida, Heiltsuk, and English ancestors. (This book was reviewed digitally with 8.5-by-20.6-inch double-page spreads viewed at 27.5% of actual size.) A lyrical story for nature-loving readers, told with reverence for the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest. (author's note, acknowledgements, photographs) (Informational picture book. 4-10)

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July 1, 2020
Grades K-2 "If you want to visit a sea garden . . . you'll have to get up really early." So begins a trip to a Pacific Northwest seashore to explore sea gardens, man-made reefs that create shallow pools where clams and other types of edible seafood are easily harvested at low tide. An adult tells a child about the history of sea gardening, how the practice dates back 3,500 years to ancient Indigenous peoples, and demonstrates how to roll small boulders down to the water's edge; harvest mollusks, sea cucumbers, and other delicacies; and keep the sea bed clean and productive. The digital illustrations feature black-ink characters silhouetted against brilliant yellow sunrises and vibrant landscapes and seascapes, with occasional overlays of transparent stencils that evoke traditional carving motifs. The tone encourages discovery, insight, and respect, as the child meets new creatures and learns about protecting the environment. This engaging tale is a natural for lessons about ecology and units on Indigenous peoples, and the illustrations will pop for story-hour audiences.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

Starred review from August 1, 2020

K-Gr 2-In this delightful book, Weisman and Vickers spotlight the value of edible sea gardens. These gardens can be found along the coast of Puget Sound in Washington State through British Columbia and all the way to Alaska. They were maintained by people of the First Nations. Archaeologists have determined that some of these sea garden walls are 3,500 years old. Canadian First Nations artist Vickers's stunning illustrations use a cool palette and include Indigenous cultural symbols throughout. Weisman's text focuses on clam culture. In the book's narrative, it is summer and low tide. An adult and a child travel to the beach with a bucket, a shovel, and their clamming tools. After gathering the protein-rich foods, the gardeners clean up and prepare the sandy beach for the smaller clams to grow. Their care and attention to detail allow this healthy food supply to flourish. The back matter consists of information about sea gardens, and every word is enlightening. VERDICT The text and illustrations combine grace and knowledge, offering a stunning nonfiction picture book that celebrates First Nations cultural traditions.-Nancy Call, formerly at Santa Cruz P.L., Aptos, CA

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