It’s time to grab your snorkel and your flippers – we’re diving under the surface
to explore the reef, where intricate coral makes a beautiful, colourful home for
all kinds of creatures.

Did you know that coral is alive? It grows and has a skeleton, just like us!
And, just like we humans need nice clean air to breathe, coral needs clean
water to survive. In The Ocean Gardener, Ayla and her Mum are on a mission
to find out why the coral in their much-loved reef is dying and, hopefully,
bring it back to life.

Come along as they explore the reef, nurture it back to health and wait
patiently to see if all their hard work pays off.

Extra things to think and do:

• As you read, can you find these things?
  - Three cheeky lizards
  - A fish with rainbow scales
  - An underwater camera
  - Pink Hibiscus flowers
  - A crab scuttling under Ayla’s foot
  
  
• Ayla has “the lungs of a dolphin and the confidence of a shark”. If you were an underwater creature, what would you be?
  
  
• Ayla and her mum are interested in saving the environment they love – what can you do to help your environment in your garden or at the park?
  
  
• “Be patient; change doesn’t happen overnight.” Ayla had to wait for the fish to come back – have you ever needed to be really patient, waiting for something to happen? How did that make you feel?
  
  
• Have you ever tried your own science experiments? How did it go?
  
  
• You might not live near a beach or any coral reefs, but there are still things we can do to help people like Ayla and her mum to protect the reef – check the list at the back of the book and choose one thing you can do!

Happy reading!