Why the Sea is Salty

The story Why the Sea is Salty is a Korean folktale. Written by Rosie Dickins and illustrated by Sara Rojo. It is intended for readers ages 6-9 and was published in Usborne publishing in 2009.

Author Rosie Dickins is a well known published author. With many different stories throughout her career. She not only is an author, but editor of these many children's books. Sara Rojo's use of bright colors and sharp lines help bring this folktale to life in this interesting story about about a thief.

The story is about a thief who steals the king's magic milestone. This magic milestone gives the king whatever he asks for, but in the wrong hands may be more than this thief has bargained for. The thief learns a valuable lesson in this classic Korean tale, that one should not be so greedy and keep your eyes on your own treasures. Within this story the thief is out to sea when he makes a wish and the magic milestone keeps turning and turning up salt. To the amount that it sinks the thief's boat and falls into the sea where is stays to this day, making salt and supplying the sea with all it needs.

I think this story is great, it has some bright and colorful pictures to draw the students in and in return shows a great moral about being happy with what you have and not being greedy. I also like that this story was written for those students who are just starting to read and is printed boldly so that readers have no trouble trying to read the words throughout it. I think it give a nice little twist to why our sea really has salt in it and could make for an interesting science project.

Thought Provoking Questions:

• Why do you think the thief thought he would be happy with the king's milestone?
• Do you think a magic milestone really could fill the ocean with all its salt?
• What would you have done if you were the king? 

Motivational Activity:

This story is a good chance for children to talk about what it means to be too greedy. It also allows for a great science lesson about the salt within our seas. I would like to be able to do a science project for my students to show them how the crystals can form on a rope (like rock candies) and then discuss what it is that really gives our oceans the salt watery taste we taste. We can talk about how animals in the oceans feed off other animals causing them to die, rather then  leaving them alone and allowing them to grow into something beautiful. 

Reference:

 Why the Sea Is Salty. (n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2016, from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7195348-why-the-sea-is-salty

 Why the Sea is Salty: A Tale from Korea (Usborne First Reading: Level 4) Hardcover – June, 2009 

(n.d.). Retrieved February 16, 2016, from http://www.amazon.com/Why-Sea-Salty-Usborne-Reading/dp/0794523080