Can you be both disappointed and enchanted with a book at the same time?  Yes, you really can.

BENEATH THE WAVES is a book put out by National Geographic and Stephanie Warren Drimmer.  It had come across my radar as a “poetry” picture book, but … it’s not.  I think there was only one poem (maybe two if memory serves) in the entire book. I was thinking that this book would be as wonderful as the one Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple put together with National Geographic (reviewed in 2019 here).  There were poems sprinkled all throughout that collaboration.  That was sadly not the case.

And yet, I looooooved this book.  Once you go in with the understanding that it’s simply NOT a poetry book, then you can enjoy it for what it is: a gorgeous book about the ocean with stunning photography and enthralling facts I hadn’t heard before!  I mean, look at that cover!  Doesn’t that say it all?  It’s just not what I would call a “poetry” book.  And it’s even advertised on the cover that there’s “poems” within it!  Nope.

That being said, I decided to show you the poem at the beginning of the book.  It not only sets up the whole book, it shows you kind of the layout to expect.  Plus it’s a poem by J. Patrick Lewis.  What’s not to love!

And if you’re looking for more poetry fun this month, be sure to check out the Kidlitosphere Event Roundup!  Thank you for stopping by!