Fascinating ocean animals, soft sand in our toes, the sound of the waves crashing against the shore, and oh that ocean breeze. Summer is here and in our house that means it is time to head to the beach!
Truthfully though I pretty much always think it is a good time to head to the beach so I hope even if it isn’t 80 and sunny by you right now that you’ll join us in reading about the Ocean this month for #aReadaDay.
Below I’ve listed some of our absolutely favorite picture books about the ocean to get you started. There are some amazing ones you don’t want to miss if you haven’t read them yet.
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30+ Ocean Picture Book Ideas
1. Deep in the Sea
by Susan B. Katz
art by David A. Carter
DEEP IN THE SEA is a great board book for summer. It has bright pictures of animals. It has flaps to open up and review pop up animals. It has rhyming text. It has a playful concept that compares land animals to ocean animals. It has short sentences that are perfect for little ones. It has durable cardstock pages for little hands to manipulate again and again. This is a great book for building ocean vocabulary, exploring rhyme and learning more about animals.
2. Atlantic by G. Brian Karas
“I am the Atlantic Ocean” begins this stunning book. It is told from the perspective of the Atlantic Ocean and is teeming with information. What makes this book truly amazing is the illustrations. They brilliantly capture the immense size, the movement, and the varied tones of the Atlantic. 3+
3. Down to the Sea with Mr. Magee
In this watery adventure, Mr. Magee and his trusty pal dog head to the sea. Their relaxing day by the sea, however turns into a whale sized adventure. This is the first book Chris Van Dusen wrote and illustrated and one of my personal favorites.
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4. Trapped! A Whale’s Rescue by Robert Burleigh
This stunningly illustrated book is based on a true story of a whale that got stuck in some crab trap ropes off the California coast. This one makes me feel all the feels with its grace and strength, beauty and courage.
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5. Sea Turtles by Laura Marsh
We did an entire unit on Sea Turtles so I have a bunch in this category, but one of our favorites is this one. National Geographic just never fails on the amazing photography and fascinating information.
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6. A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle
A House for Hermit Crab is a classic and where we started reading more about hermit crabs, but there were others we loved as well.
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7. I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry
Full of bright, bold colors and lots of humor this one is just plain fun. If you’re looking for something simply fun to read aloud about the ocean this is a great one to start with.
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8. Children’s Books about Pirates
Why pick one when we have a whole basket? My kids think pirates are fascinating and fun so we have a whole bunch of pirate books – See our complete list of favorite pirate picture books here.
9. Lightship by Brian Floca
You may have never heard of a Lightship – I know I never had until I read this book. It is kind of unforgettable once you read it. I apologize to anyone who has been reading my blogs for a while because I probably way over-share this book but we love it. Truly love it. It’s hard to explain why. Interestingly I was trying to explain why I love lighthouses to someone this week and couldn’t do that either. They’re just cool – and so are lightships.
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10. Secrets of the Seashore by Carron Brown & Alyssa Nassner
This book is part of the Shine-a-Light series from Usborne and it’s wonderful. The pages are designed to reveal a secret when you shine a flashlight behind them. In this particular book, the secret habitats along the seashore are revealed. Starfish, barnacles, small fish and other animals can all be spotted along the shore. This is a fun one to cozy up in a darkened room with a flashlight and read before bed. 2+
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11. Splotch by Gianna Marino
What happens when your child’s fish dies? This is the premise of Splotch and while the story is pretty predictable, we loved the illustrations. They add the perfect about of humor to a not so humorous premise.
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12. Wandering Whale Sharks by Susumu Shingu
This is stunning and I wanted to share. The black and brilliant blue illustrations are what captured my eye. Wandering Whale Sharks follows a whale as it swims around the ocean. The book shares simple facts while beautifully capturing the poetic strength of these huge animals. 3+
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13. Busy Boats by Tony Mitton
I own 3 copies of this book. I have no idea why, but it is a great book about different kinds of boats for toddlers. Apparently you can borrow one if you’re nearby – otherwise I suggest you buy one….you know, or 3?
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14. Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out! by April Pulley Sayre
We went to a Turtle Center in Georgia and I walked out with an infatuation with sea turtles and this book. Did you know how many obstacles stand in the way of a turtle surviving to adulthood? It’s harrowing. This adventure follows one little turtle and shares the challenges sea turtles face in a child appropriate, inspiring, and action packed way. Most of all I love how it empowers humans to help save sea turtles.
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15. This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen
This is a story told from the point of view of a very small fish that steals a hat from a very large fish. He explains to the reader his genius plan to get away with this by out running and hiding from the large fish. The words are brief and perfect for a read aloud, but it is their pairing with delightful illustrations that had us laughing out loud.
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16. Uh-Oh! by Shutta Crum
Hands down the cutest book I have read all year. This is the perfect toddler picture book about going to the beach.
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17. Prince and Pirate by Charlotte Gunnufson
Two fish, named Prince and Pirate, could not be more different but they when they are dropped in the same fish tank they have to learn to co-exist. This reminds me of siblings trying to share a room. I adore their solution though. This one is packed with humor.
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Read Also: 20+ Ocean Unit Activity Ideas
18. The Seashore Book by Charlotte Zolotow
This beautiful book is actually a re-make of an older book but the illustrations are devine. It’s like a dreamy ocean painting and although not just about seashells they do pop up throughout the book as it follows a mom and her son on an imagined ocean day.
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19. Big Al by Andrew Clements
This one you probably recognize. It is a classic, but as wonderful today as it was when it was published in the 80s. Somethings are just timeless. The story of the big, ugly fish that just wants a friend is one such timeless tale. A must if you haven’t read it already.
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20. My Visit to the Aquarium by Aliki
First I would just like to say that I want to go to whatever aquarium this is because it is the most incredible one I’ve ever seen. It has everything. The pictures are brilliant and the text is packed with information. We adore this one.
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21. In The Swim by Douglas Florian
Florian is one of my favorite poets for kids. His poems and paintings are quirky and unique. They are best for 5 and up, but once you get to the magic spot where your child gets his humor they are gold.
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22. Polar Opposites by Erik Brooks
Alex, a polar bear and Zina, a penguin not only live on opposite sides of the world, but they are opposites in every sense of the world. One is messy. One is neat. One likes to get up early. One gets up late. Even the way they travel is different. However, despite their polar opposites Alex and Zina are best friends and in the end they can “ALWAYS meet in the middle!” This is such a sweet story about embracing differences that talks about opposites, oceans and arctic animals, and friendship. 2+
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23. Seahorse Fry by Ruth Owen
There is a whole series called Water Babies about baby ocean animals but this is my daughter’s favorite. This book launched over a week long investigation into seahorses and I have learned so much. This cute little book (about something little but also little itself) is packed with photos and great information about seahorses and in particular the little babies – apparently called Fry.
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24. Ocean Animals: Who’s Who in the Deep Blue by Johnna Rizzo
I have raved about National Geographic Kids books in the past but this is my absolute favorite. To be fair, I am a bit ocean obsessed so this is said with some bias but this book is amazing. SO much information. SO many amazing photos. SO many animals included. We have used this constantly in our animal projects.
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25. Cub’s Big World by Sarah L. Thomson
Cub’s world is small. It was just him and his mom until one day his mom wanders out of the cave. Outside the world is big and bright and full of new things to see. This is such a touching story about the bond between a mother and her baby, about parenting, and about childhood. The perfect book for any mother who wants to reassure their baby that “The world is big. I’ll be close by till you’re big, too.” 2+
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Also Read: 10 Best Polar Bear Picture Books
26. Not Quite Narwhal by Jessie Sima
This is a great book about being different, not fitting in and aren’t the pictures just the cutest?
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27. Listen to Our World by Bill Martin Jr & Michael Sampson
This is one of those powerhouse books when you look at who created it and you’re like WOW and know you have to pick it up. A beautifully illustrated (duh! It’s Melissa Sweet) and excellently crafted read aloud about the animals and their world. If your kids love animals this is an awesome one.
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28. Mr Hulot at the Beach by David Merveille
This wordless book is quirky and funny in the best possible way. It’s one of those that I stumbled upon in a bookstore and was intrigued by the illustrations and had to bring home. Mr. Hulot’s day at the beach is unforgettable.
29. All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon and Katherine Tillotson
Water all over the world. Where it comes from and where it goes. How we use it and how we can protect this dwindling resource. Fantastic non-fiction for little ones.
30. Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall
A Caldecott so well deserved. The illustrations in this book are simply stunning. They incredibly transport you to life inside a lighthouse. The little spaces. The way weather and the ocean effect life. The ups and downs. Each page more breathtakingly beautiful than the previous one and all before you read the story of the people inside that house.
31. The Truth about Dolphins
by Maxwell Eaton III
My eight year old self cannot get enough of this book. Dolphins are and definitely were my favorite animal and I read everything I could get my hands on about them but no dolphin picture book in my day was this fun or interesting as this one. Full of playful speech bubbles and great facts, this is a book to hand to any dolphin or ocean animal enthusiast.
32. Ocean! Waves for All by Stacy McAnulty illustrated by David Litchfield
Another book in the OUR UNIVERSE series. The team that brought you EARTH!, SUN! and MOON! released a new one – OCEAN! This one is told by Ocean and he introduces you to all of his nooks, corners, and secrets. Entertaining voice, interesting nonfiction information about oceans, and brilliant illustrations teeming with the life and layers in our oceans. A great book for any unit or storytime on the ocean or the environment.
33. I See the Sea by Julia Groves
I SEE THE SEA is deceptively simple. The brief text on each page starts with a repeated “I See” and goes on to describe the beautifully illustrated sea creature on each page. The creative use of cut out eyes that descend through the pages is eye catching and the poetic text is somewhat mesmerizing. At the end there is backmatter that labels each animals and gives more basic information about them. This is a wonderful read aloud for story time or book to share with a child who loves ocean animals
34. Good Eating: The Short Life of Krill
by Matt Lilley
illustrated by Dan Tavis
It is well known that blue whales, the largest creatures on earth, eat krill, one of the tiniest. But what else do you really know about krill. My answer was basically nothing and this didn’t bother me until I read this book. It answers all the questions I never even knew I had and it is fascinating. Well paced, just enough humor and drama, great information.
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