Little horses by Deborah Kelly. Illus. by Jenni Goodman

A charming story of a successful conservation program will have readers asking questions about the little horses and their vulnerability. Kelly follows the lives of a pair of seahorses in Port Stephens. In easy to read four line stanzas, Kelly outlines their lives below the waves. They eat small shrimp, their tails wrapped around a piece of sea weed for stability. They live amongst the corals and weed on the ocean floor, having the ability to change colour should a predator swim by. Their lives seem most agreeable, with the weed and coral making good hiding places. But one day the wind picks up, the waves crash causing the coral to crumble and the currents take the little horses away. They are swept to a barren place where there is no weed or sponges or coral to use as protection and food. But their eyes spot something new on the ocean floor. And this is part of the conservation program being undertaken in bays around Australia.

A crate of some sort is seen on the ocean floor and small amounts of weed and coral are growing around its sides. The seahorses investigate and find that this new addition will serve them well as a shelter and food source. They are safe once again in their garden, a seahorse hotel.

Children will love the tale of the little horses, rocked by nature and then finding a man-made place to live. The story behind this picture book is outlined at the end of the tale, with fascinating diagrams of the seahorse hotel and how it changes over time, allowing more of these little creatures to survive.

Information about the seahorse motels can also be found at the end of the book. A wonderfully positive book to be shared at home, in the library or in class.

Themes: Conservation, Seahorses, Sea, Seahorse hotels.

Fran Knight