The Sea, The Storm, and The Mangrove Tangle

The Sea, The Storm, and The Mangrove Tangle was written by Lynne Cherry and published by

This is a great book describing the life and struggle that a mangrove tree goes through as it sets root and grows into a large mangrove island. I do not know what technique she used to draw the illustrations, but it is enjoyable to look at with my daughter.

The book goes into detail about the different animals claiming the mangrove tree as its home. The pictures give a great illustration for children to see as it grows.

What I felt important to share with my daughter was how long it took for the creation of a small mangrove island.

"The propagules grew into many mangroves. For seventy years this mangrove
tangle grew and spread out farther and farther."

and

"A hundred years had passed since the first propagule planted itself here
and the mangrove tangle had become a big mangrove island."

These statements are awe inspiring to me. I understand that this information is not anything new for an adult, but looking at it through a child's eye I see that our lives are so short. It is at these points that I make it clear that it is important for us to take care of the world that God has given us.

This book is a great book for children to see and understand how beautiful this world is. The undertones of this book is conservation and education for young reader. In my opinion, it was done artfully and tactfully. Parents are given a seed to start a conversation with their young children and educate them further.

My last quote is this:

"As a flock of pelicans dove for fish, two fishermen came by. One
said, 'Lets cut these mangroves down and create a shrimp farm.' The other
fisherman replied, 'But these mangroves are the only trees that can grow in
the salty seawater. Many of the fish in the ocean start their lives in
nurseries around these islands. If we destroy the mangroves, we destroy
the fish which give us all live.'"

I understand that in reality that fishermen given these circumstances would be hard pressed not to cut it down when they have a family relying on them. As a children's book I find that it portrays the pressures on the island as well as it can given the audience.

This book encourages me to keep good habits that are not harmful to the world around me, and teach my children to my mindful of their actions as they grow up.

Thank you,

Ronald Bruinius