A world of sea creatures waits in the warm pools of water left between the rocks after the ocean’s tide recedes. Barnacles and mussels, turban snails and limpets “close up tight” against the heat of the day. Sculpins and opaleye fish conceal themselves in algae and seaweed. An octopus, crabs, and shrimp hide in cracks in the rocks. All are waiting for the tide to return and for the pool to become “part of the sea once more.” With the tide comes all kinds of activity: “Sea anemones bloom,” “shrimp paddle,” “sea slugs slither across sponge.” Barnacles and sea stars and crabs of all kinds scavenge for food, while other animals are swept in by the waves. “Everything is busy. All brim with life.” Until soon, the waves once again crawl out, and the tide pool waits. Acrylic paint illustrations depicting a colorful underwater world accompany a text that reflects the diverse and cyclical activity of tide pool life. Highly Commended, 2023 Charlotte Zolotow Award ©2022 Cooperative Children’s Book Center   (Ages 4-8)