By the Sea: Life Along the Coast

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

Brimming with illustrations and information, this coast-to-coast journey through time and across continents introduces young readers to the historical and cultural importance of the world’s seashores.

Coasts have always been the starting point of discovery— whether by explorers searching for new lands or children sifting through the sand for beautiful shells.

This trip around the world’s oceans provides hours of fun and learning in a series of highly detailed double-page spreads that look at every aspect of critical coastal habitats, including the ebb and flow of tides; life in a coastal settlement; artistic depictions of seashores; native animals and plants; the whaling industry; tourism; and climate change. The book also provides a Twenty-First-Century corrective to Western-centric narratives about exploration and colonialism. Interspersed throughout are meticulously detailed maps of the world’s largest oceans with historic events, figures and scientific facts highlighted.

As fun as it is informative, this vibrant book takes readers on a trip around the globe that fosters a feeling of connection between their lives and the world’s coastlines.

About the Author

JUDITH HOMOKI is a freelance creator and copywriter. At the age of fifteen she left home for distant lands and lived as an exchange student in a small coastal town in Ecuador. Today she writes travel and children's books and lives in Berlin.

Author Residence: Berlin, Germany

MARTIN HAAKE’s work has appeared in The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and numerous other international publications and books. A two-time recipient of the German Art Directors Club’s silver medal, his previous book for Prestel is Great Rivers of the World.