There are probably a thousand children's books that have to do with the ocean! For our ocean theme week, we kept to the topic broadly, so we covered the ocean, fish and other animals, and the beach! This book list is equally broad and features some of the many wonderful children's books about the ocean.
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The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
The Rainbow Fish is a classic! We first heard it at a local toy store craft hour, and then we made accompanying rainbow fish to go along with the story. The rainbow fish is special because he has shimmery scales. But he doesn't want to share them, so no one wants to be his friend. He is sad and lonely until he realizes that he will be happier with friends, so he shares his special sparkly scales. This is a nice story about sharing, being generous, and how those things can help us to make friends. The illustrations in this book are beautiful as well! The Rainbow Fish (and other books in the series) are suited for older toddlers and preschoolers.
Rainbow Fish To The Rescue by Marcus Pfister
Rainbow Fish To The Rescue was the second book in the series to be released. Rainbow Fish helps stand up for a little outcast fish when he is in danger, and the other fish realize that they should include him even though he doesn't have a special sparkly scale. This story isn't quite as solid as the original, but young listeners love hearing about the familiar characters in a series, and the message is nice.
The Pout Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen
We love the Pout-Pout Fish! I got these books when they were on sale for part of a Kohl's Cares for Kids promotion, and my kids have been crazy about them ever since. Pout-Pout Fish is grumpy and thinks that nothing will change his attitude. Until, that is, a shimmery lady fish comes and gives him a big kiss. Then he becomes a kiss-kiss fish instead! It is written in rhyme, with a nice cadence that children can help complete themselves after hearing it a few times. The illustrations are cute and engaging. I love that it gives me a light-hearted way to tell my kids to cheer up if they are being grouchy for no reason. I just ask them to be kiss-kiss fishes instead of pout-pout fishes. It works every time! This book is great for toddlers, preschoolers, or elementary aged children.
The Pout Pout Fish in the Big-Big Dark by Deborah Diesen
This book is the next installment of the Pout-Pout Fish series. One of Pout-Pout's friends, Ms. Clam, loses her pearl down in a deep, dark trench. He, along with several other friends, go after it, getting deeper and deeper into the dark ocean. He has to overcome his fears to help his friend. As in the first book, there is a nice message here that can be used to help young children overcome their fears. I will say, however, that this book about the deep, scary, darkness of the ocean, may not be the best choice for a child who is highly subject to suggestion or who already has a fear of the dark.
The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson
I love everything by Julia Donaldson, who is probably most well known for The Gruffalo. In this story, a little snail wants to travel the world, and writing in snail slime on a rock, he asks to hitch along with a big humpback whale. The two travel the ocean together until the whale gets into trouble. Tiny little snail finds a way to help! Written in typical light and airy Donaldson rhyme, this is a gem of a book. The illustrator, Axel Scheffler, is also the same artist who did the illustrations for The Gruffalo. And again, his work is top-notch. This book is great for toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary aged children.
Splash, Anna Hibiscus! by Atinuke
I had heard of the Anna Hibiscus series but hadn't read any of the books until we heard this story at a local story time. Anna Hibiscus is a young girl who lives in Africa with her extended family. It takes a while, but Anna is finally able to convince her family to play in the ocean with her during a day at the beach. I loved the multicultural aspect of this book-- the characters have names that we don't hear everyday, and they're participating in activities that are not part of our everyday lives. I will definitely be on the look out for more books from this series, which I think is appropriate for toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary aged children.
The Magic School Bus on the Ocean Floor by Joanna Cole
We love the Magic School Bus series! This installment takes the class under the sea where they learn all about different sections of the ocean, sea life, coral reefs, and lots more! As always, there is a main story and then lots of little side bits of information that you can choose to either read or leave out depending on the age and interest level of your child. I think that in general, this series is appropriate for older preschoolers and up.
Smithsonian Oceanic Collection
These tiny books (about 3" x 5") are little treasures. There are at least 15 in all and each focuses on a different animal. I scored a great deal on them, getting around 15 of them for $12 (new!) from a now defunct daily deal site. They are packed full of information, told in a story format that includes information about the animals' habitat, diet, parenting patterns, and temperament. My toddler usually loses interest when we read them, but my preschooler loves them and has learned so much about ocean animals from them! She remembers a lot of the information because of the story format in which they are told. I'm not sure that they're worth their list price (around $5 each) but snatch them up if you ever see a good deal on them!
Out of the Ocean by Debra Frasier
The beauty in this book is in its artwork, which is a mixed-media collage that includes photographs and cut or torn paper. Out of the Ocean is about all the things that the ocean might bring you, if you spend enough time looking and remember to notice. It includes shells and sea glass, but also more abstract things like the sun and moonlight. There is something quite soothing about this book that mesmerized both of my girls. I recommend this book for toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary aged children.
Squid and Octopus: Friends for Always by Tao Nyeu
This book is just darling, and would be a great one to add to your collection. It reminded me of a sort of whimsical, modern Frog and Toad except the characters are best friends Squid and Octopus. This book is made up of four very short stories, which makes it easy to tailor to your needs. You can just choose one or two if you need to be done quickly or read the whole book if you have time. The illustrations are simple and sweet, in muted oranges and blues, and there are hilarious side conversations going on in the background. This book is great for toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary aged children.
There Was An Old Pirate Who Swallowed A Fish by Jennifer Ward
This bright picture book follows the same pattern as the song There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly. The pirate keeps swallowing bigger and bigger things until he is so big that he sinks to the bottom of the sea. I guess you could call this book silly, and it might be a good choice for swashbuckling little ones who didn't want to sit still for story time. The illustrations are bright and funny, and the pirate theme would catch one's attention. To me, though, I was bothered that there was no reason why the pirate kept swallowing things. In the original song, the old lady is swallowing larger animals in order for them to get the other animals she's already swallowed. This book, though, just goes through random pirate-y things. It was not my favorite.
Down East in the Ocean: A Maine Counting Book by Peter and Connie Roop
Another book that follows the pattern of a well-known song, Down East in the Ocean can be read or sung to the tune of Over in the Meadow. It goes through animal mothers and babies, teaching a little bit about Maine and the Eastern seaboard along the way. I loved the soft, realistic illustrations and my little ones loved getting to count all the baby animals. We have read a few books that go to this same tune, and love them all. This book is great for toddlers and preschoolers.
Pig Kahuna by Jennifer Sattler
Pig brothers Fergus and Dink spend a day collecting treasures at the beach. This cute and silly book is great for your toddlers. The story is short and easy to follow, and got lots of giggles.
Pig Kahuna Pirates! by Jennifer Sattler
This follow up to Pig Kahuna is equally cute. Baby brother Dink wakes up from his nap in a grumpy mood and he can't quite shake it. Until, that is, Fergus saves the day with some fun pirate play. My toddler loved this one.
DK Eyewitness Books: Fish by Steve Parker
DK is one of my favorite publishers for children's nonfiction books, and this book is just one of the reasons why. The pictures are bright and interesting and there is tons of great information. This is not a book that you would read straight through to your child (at any age) but is great for them to look through, ask questions about, and to have as a reference. Older preschoolers, elementary and middle school students would enjoy this book.
Papa's Mechanical Fish by Candace Fleming
What a cute book! While it is technically not about the ocean (it is set on Lake Michigan), it's too wonderful to exclude from this list. A lifelong tinkerer and father sets out to build a mechanical fish. It takes him several tries, with suggestions from his daughter to help him along the way, but he finally gets it right. I loved the scientific theme, the message of persistence, and the support the father receives from his family. This book is rather long, and the story is a tad complicated, so I recommend it for older preschoolers or elementary aged students.
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