A KID’S GUIDE TO THE OCEAN "Can you imagine a world without fish? It's not as crazy as it sounds. But if we keep doing things the way we've been doing things, fish could become extinct within fifty years. So let's change the way we do things!" World Without Fish is the uniquely illustrated narrative nonfiction account—for kids—of what is happening to the world’s oceans and what they can do about it. Written by Mark Kurlansky, author of Cod, Salt, The Big Oyster, and many other books, World Without Fish has been praised as “urgent” (Publishers Weekly) and “a wonderfully fast-paced and engaging primer on the key questions surrounding fish and the sea” (Paul Greenberg, author of Four Fish). It has also been included in the New York State Expeditionary Learning English Language Arts Curriculum. Written by a master storyteller, World Without Fish connects all the dots—biology, economics, evolution, politics, climate, history, culture, food, and nutrition—in a way that kids can really understand. It describes how the fish we most commonly eat, including tuna, salmon, cod, swordfish—even anchovies— could disappear within fifty years, and the domino effect it would have: the oceans teeming with jellyfish and turning pinkish orange from algal blooms, the seabirds disappearing, then reptiles, then mammals. It describes the back-and-forth dynamic of fishermen, who are the original environmentalists, and scientists, who not that long ago considered fish an endless resource. It explains why fish farming is not the answer—and why sustainable fishing is, and how to help return the oceans to their natural ecological balance. Interwoven with the book is a twelve-page graphic novel. Each beautifully illustrated chapter opener links to the next to form a larger fictional story that perfectly complements the text.

"Flick Ford's watercolor portraits of 75 wild freshwater species from South America, Africa, Asia and Australia showcase their exquisite beauty. The accompanying text focuses on their sustainability in the wild, and how to create biotope aquariums to simulate their natural habitats in the wild. These popular fish, which gave rise to the second biggest hobby in the world?ornamental fishkeeping?face an uncertain future. Habitat maps for the 75 species, a glossary of scientific terms, anecdotal stories and advice from tropical fish breeders and collectors round out this unique book's overview." -- from publisher's website.

"What makes a fish a fish? Trout thinks he knows the answer. "That's easy! Fish have fins, gills, scales, are shaped like me, and live underwater." "Not so fast," answers Mudskipper. "What about a clingfish? They don't have any scales. Or a hagfish? They don't have any fins. Or what about me? I live in and out of the water!" As Trout and Mudskipper explore below and above the world's waters, they are introduced to a multitude of fish in various shapes, colors, and sizes, forcing Trout to rethink about his notion of what a fish is. Maybe there is a vast watery world of unimagined possibilities (like a walking fish, or a fish with a transparent head!). And maybe, just maybe, there's not just one way to be a fish-but many, many ways!"--

Wars have been fought over it, revolutions have been spurred by it, national diets have been based on it, economies have depended on it, and the settlement of North America was driven by it. Cod, it turns out, is the reason Europeans set sail across the Atlantic, and it is the only reason they could. What did the Vikings eat in icy Greenland and on the five expeditions to America recorded in the Icelandic sagas? Cod -- frozen and dried in the frosty air, then broken into pieces and eaten like hardtack. What was the staple of the medieval diet? Cod again, sold salted by the Basques, an enigmatic people with a mysterious, unlimited supply of cod. Cod is a charming tour of history with all its economic forces laid bare and a fish story embellished with great gastronomic detail. It is also a tragic tale of environmental failure, of depleted fishing stocks where once the cod's numbers were legendary. In this deceptively whimsical biography of a fish, Mark Kurlansky brings a thousand years of human civilization into captivating focus.

This stunning encyclopedia is a fascinating guide to more than 400 fish and sea creatures from aroundthe world and from every marine habitat.Representation is broad, featuring members of some of the most exciting and successful animal groups in the marine world, including sponges, corals, jelly animals, worms, crustaceans, molluscs, echinoderms, fish, reptiles and sea mammals. Read about the plate-like body armor of creatures that endure the crash of the incoming tide; the reefs that teem with colorful life; the communities that exist at the edge of the contents; and the formidable creatures that hunt in remote waters. Each profile is illustrated with a beautiful watercolor artwork plus a panel which contains a map to pinpoint distribution, and concise information on habitat type, size, breeding and feeding behavior.

A box set of two hardback encyclopedias of 1250 freshwater and marine creatures, with 1700 images.