Hello Ocean/Hola Mar by Pam Munoz Ryan

Hello Ocean/Hola Mar

Munoz Ryan, P. (2003) hello ocean/hola mar. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

Hello Ocean/Hola Mar is a bilingual children's picture book recalling a wonderful picturesque day at the beach.  It is a book written completely in a poem, and so descriptive of the ocean, it is almost as if you can smell the salt in the air, or feel the waves wash over your feet. 

This book's lexile level is recommended for the age group between 4 and 8 years old, so could be used in kindergarten all the way to second grade. 

This story is wonderful believable and really could bring a child to invigorate their senses as they imagine themselves with their toes digging into the sand.  This book puts you in the shoes of the characters portrayed in the book, who remain unnamed and unmentioned.  The focus of the book is to provide an imaginary beauty for students to imagine without the use of strong characters, therefore those who are portrayed are without stereotype.  The illustrations are captivating, and truly inline with the flow of the story. 

What's the stuff inside?

Allegory is the name of the game in Hello Ocean/Hola Mar, where the book is written completely in a rhyming poetic manner. 

"I see the ocean, gray, green, blue, a chameleon always changing hue..."

I believe this helped the flow of the lyricism of the book and painting a truly livable moment while imagining going to the beach. 

Assonance can be found throughout the book... For Example:

"Froggy songs from distant boats, gentle clangs from bobbing floats."

This helps the tone of the story, allowing that natural flow of the poem to play off of the calming effect of the plot line and illustrations. 

Simile

We can see using the first line I used for allegory, it is also useful for understanding simile. 

The author is comparing the changing colors of the ocean to how a chameleon would change colors if given the opportunity. 

How can I use this in a classroom??

With the amount of poetry this book provides children with, using examples of allegory would be a perfect chance for your students to attempt writing their own poems with rhyming.  An educator could allow their students to virtually use any topic they like, as long as they are able to produce a poem with rhyming elements in it.   Require the poem to be descriptive, possibly describing their favorite place to visit or a memorable area that would entice their senses.