Book Bites: Somewhere Beyond the Sea...Picture Books that celebrate World Oceans Day
Considering that over 75 per cent of the Earth’s surface is covered in water, it makes sense to invite a deeper knowledge of our wondrous oceans and seas. This selection of recent picture books are a feast of colourful fun and facts guaranteed to whet the curiosities of many budding oceanographers.
My First Book of Sea Creatures
Vibrantly illustrated by Zoë Ingram,
this illustrated nonfiction picture book is a joy to read and cinch to navigate
through. Colourful end pages immediately immerse readers into the world of 20
sea creatures ranging from clownfish, hermit crabs, narwhals and coral polyps.
Species specifics are boxed alongside bold and brilliant ‘Did you know?’ fun
facts. Particularly alluring are the size scales provided beneath each brief
creature description for example, sea snakes are 17 – 128 cm long, equivalent
to the length of a bicycle. Everything is reinforced with brilliant visuals. An
index at the end of the book provides a colourful reference for kids to tick
off the animals that they have actually seen in the sea. Brilliant! Although
I’m not sure I want to get that close to a colossal squid! My
First Book of Sea Creatures deserves a spot on any child’s bookshelf. Ingram has also
illustrated others in this natural history series including, My First Book of Birds and My First Book of Woodland Animals.
Title:
My First Book of Sea Creatures
Author / Illustrator: Zoë Ingram
Publisher: Walker Books, $27.99
Publication Date: June 2021
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781406394924
For ages: 2 – 7
Type: Non Fiction Picture Book
Buy the
Book: Walker Books Australia, Boomerang Books
This little number is a marvellous
mash up of Octonaunts meets Thunderbirds in a thrilling journey to the deep.
Caryl Hart escorts youngsters through our planet’s magnificent oceans and most
significant seas in an underwater rhyming adventure. The verse is
conversational and snappy, cleverly incorporating the primary features of each
ocean; their location relative to land mass, their inhabitants and their
climatic characteristics. It’s a marvellous follow-on from the former book of
sea creatures. As we submarine around the waterways, readers are reintroduced
to many of the creatures they are already getting to know, this time in their
actual underwater environments.
Bethan Woollvin’s retro-esque
illustrations are magnificent, utilising a colour palette of just half a dozen bold,
bright, iridescent hues. They emphasis descriptions and add fun whilst
providing plenty to analyse. With its gentle homage to environmental concerns
and the oceans’ wellbeing, Meet
The Oceans is a sublime and
illuminating experience for youngsters and adults alike.
Title:
Meet the Oceans
Author: Caryl Hart
Illustrator: Bethan Woollvin
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children’s Books, $14.99
Publication Date: April 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781526603630
For ages: 3+
Type: Picture Book
Buy the
Book: Bloomsbury Books, Boomerang Books
Despite living and working on the
doorstep of the Great Barrier Reef for some years, diving its depths, beating
across its surface under sail, and flying above its magnificent formations,
this book is a revelation. Thoughtfully broken down into alluring chapters,
each segment focuses on the creation, history, inhabitants, ailments and future
of the reef depicting one of the greatest natural wonders of our world as a
living breathing thing, which essentially, it is.
Marine biologist and ocean lover,
Helen Scales introduces readers to the world’s biggest coral reef system via
short pithy paragraphs loaded with information that help clarify and crystalise
what many of us are already vaguely aware of and create a sense of awe as new
discoveries are disclosed. We learn how coral ecosystems are born; how we can
enjoy and explore their mysteries before moving on to investigate some of the many
dwellers who call the reef their home. And although I used to swim among the
colourful parrotfish, listening to them munch and crunch on coral I had no idea
that their coral diet is recycled into sand. That’s right; those beaches I once
luxuriated on are in fact parrotfish poo!
Fantastic facts like this one are
secreted throughout this strikingly illustrated book, which includes aspects
about the Reef that do not ordinarily spring to mind when one thinks of the
GBR, especially from a touristic point of view. Legendary Indigenous tales that
are inextricably entwined with this amazing structure are included for example completing
the overall picture.
This journey through nearly 400, 000 square kilometres of
dazzling colour, intricate ecosystems and unique creatures, carries a
strong conservation message but ends on a positive if slightly opened ended
note; that as majestic and unique and mega as the Reef is, it cannot heal
itself alone. Hopefully, books like this will inspire and educate young people and
motivate them to learn and care for our natural wonders for generations to
come. Even if you have not yet witnessed the spectacle of the Great Barrier Reef in
real life (and one day you must), this coffee table worthy publication is a
stunning introduction and a beaut reference guide to take you there
vicariously.
Title: The
Great Barrier Reef
Author: Helen Scales
Illustrator: Lisk Feng
Publisher: Walker Books, Flying Eye Books imprint, $34.99
Publication Date: June 2021
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781911171782
For ages: 7+
Type: Non Fiction Picture Book
Buy the
Book: Walker Books Australia, Boomerang Books
Earth’s
Aquarium will blow the minds of marine obsessed young people. Beautifully bound
with a shimmering foil bubbled cover, this large sized hardcover picture book
is a magnificent testimony to our world under the sea. In fact, it’s an absorbing
exploration of the many intriguing habitats that constitute our underwater
worlds including: mangroves and coastal estuaries, tropical reefs, deep-sea
vents, wet lands, fast-moving fresh water and the open oceans to name but a
handful of the 15 or so habitats included in this study. The foreword alone
creates a deep sense of empathy and intimacy as the author invites us to
literally leap down there with him to discover the incredible range of aquatic
life.
This great expedition begins with
detailed passages on water variables, examining how light, currents, pressure,
chemical quality, and physical events impact on the bodies of water that make
up our seas, oceans and big lakes. The tone then alters into a pattern of
imaginative and informative narrative as the author, Kaufman, escorts us
through a mesmerising tour of real life locations. The text is tween and teen
friendly, exquisitely detailed and almost prose-like yet suffused with insightful
facts relative to that particular location. Immediately following each of these
stunning two page spreads is a more detailed look at the species that call that
location home.
Mariana Rodrigues’ rich, realistic,
colour saturated illustrations are enhanced by the generous dimensions of this
book, providing an evocative sense of actually laying on the mudflats of Wadden
Sea or racing with the currents through the North Pacific Ocean or skimming
across the rippling Norfolk Broads. It is beyond thrilling and an absolute
sensory delight. Earth’s
Aquarium is a trip
around our blue planet. It’s an eye opening, close up exposé of some of its
most seldom noticed aquatic environments and above all it’s a glorious
celebration of life. Highly recommended
for the sheer wonder and experience and as a supreme gift.
Title:
Earth’s Aquarium: Discover 15 Real-life Water Worlds
Author: Alexander Kaufman
Illustrator: Mariana Rodrigues
Publisher: Walker Books, Magic Cat imprint, $44.99
Publication Date: June 2021
Format: Large format Hardcover
ISBN: 9781913520090
For ages: 7 – 100
Type: Non Fiction Picture Book
Buy the
Book: Walker Books Australia, Boomerang Books
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