We’ll all go sailing/On the great wide seas/My friend Maggee/And Jesse and me.” This bouncy opening line conveys the joyful tone of this picture book for preschoolers. Small hands can open the nine gatefolds that reveal sea creatures and answer the repeated question: “And what will we see/In the sea, we three?”

As in many books for preschoolers, this one includes an array of colours and animals. The sea and the creatures in it are a different colour in every spread. Barracuda, eels, and sea slugs are a small sampling of the unusual creatures encountered by the sailors. Strangely, the unconventional spelling “narwhale” is used rather than the more correct “narwhal.” Senses are vivid in the descriptions of the “cold,” the “cool,” and the “hot” sea. Each learning element is smoothly integrated into this story, which begs to be read again and again.

Illustrator Kim LaFave successfully test-drives a new style of art in this latest picture book. Boldly coloured sea creatures with thick, dark outlines lie against a high-contrast background. The trio in the boat resemble figures from Popeye, while many of the other images have the simple feel of the work of the late New York artist Keith Haring, but with lots of added texture. The “green jellyfish” and the “bright blue cod” splashed against a canary yellow background in one memorable spread create a fabulous impact.

The poem at the end provides the full text on one page for those who want to savour just the words. Clearly, both the illustrations and the writing are solid enough to stand alone, but together, the effect is superb.