An Ocean World

Written by Peter Sis
Published in 1992

     This story is about a whale who lives in captivity for most of her life, until she is too big and is transported to the ocean. She has seen humans her whole life, but now for the first time she will be able to see a whale just like herself.  To my surprise the majority of this book was a picture book. It starts off with a postcard and background story of the whale. Once she reaches the ocean however her adventure is told through illustrations. The author uses colors to set the mood, and describe the weather.
     I believe this book could be used for a range of lower elementary grade students. It allows the reader to participate in the story themselves since it is told through illustrations and allows for various interpretations. One way this book could be incorporated into the classroom is by having different groups read the book and then write their own dialogue. This way you can show students different perspectives, how you can get many interpretations from the same thing, and also how people incorporate their prior knowledge into the things they read.