Books for the Beach

 If you’re heading to a beach – whether it’s the ocean or a lake or a towel by the backyard wading pool – you might want to take along some beach reading…

theme: ocean animals, animal behavior

Speck: An Itty-Bitty Epic 

by Margaux Meganck 

40 pages; ages 3-6

‎Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2024  

Deep in a tide pool, too small to see, countless tiny specks go forth

These tiny specks are barnacle larva, tossed by waves and carried by currents until they find a spot to grow into a barnacle. They are part of the group of tiny edible things we call “plankton” and that fish and whales call “dinner.” 

What I like about this book: the text is lyrical and soothing, like the gently rocking of a boat at sea. I like the vivid watercolor illustrations (and the sweet expressions on the barnacle faces). I also like that the larvae are looking for a place to grow and thrive, just like us. I wish there had been a smidgeon of back matter so we could learn more about these amazing animals (barnacles are crustaceans) but even so, this book will leave children thinking about the smallest bits of life in the ocean.

Where Do Ocean Creatures Sleep at Night? 

by Steven J. Simmons & Clifford R. Simmons; illus. by Ruth E. Harper 

32 pages; ages 3-7

Charlesbridge, 2024  

Ocean creatures swim in their watery home…

But when their day is done, where do they sleep? Some burrow in the sand of the ocean floor, while others cling to corals or plants. Octopuses snuggle in their dens and otters snooze on their backs. Gentle rhymes and soft illustrations make this a perfect book to read during quiet time at the beach.

Beyond the Books:

Go on a barnacle search. You’ll find them attached to ropes, rocks, docks, and even mussels. Read more about barnacles at this Woods Hole page.

If you have the opportunity to spend part of the night at a beach, do it. What do you hear? What do you see? What do you smell? How does the air feel?

Check out some of these other books that are perfect “beach reads”

• How to Code a Sandcastle    
• Seashells: More Than A Home
• Look What I Found at the Beach
• The Tide Pool Waits

We’ll join Perfect Picture Book Friday once they resume. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copies provided by the publishers and Blue Slip Media (Speck).

Dive Deep to Explore the Ocean

Diving Deep: Using Machines to Explore the Ocean

by Michelle Cusolito; illus. by Nicole Wong 

32 pages; ages 5-8

Charlesbridge, 2022    

theme: nature, ocean, exploratioon

Far away from shore, past beaches and coral reefs, the ocean’s surface conceals earth’s last unexplored wilderness.

But humans are curious. We want to know what’s in the ocean, so we dive in. We want to know what’s deeper in the water, so we create a way to carry air with us. We want to dive deeper … to know what’s at the very bottom of the ocean floor, so we build machines to help us to explore. 

What I like about this book: I like how the book takes readers on field trips to different depths. First we go snorkeling, swimming with fins and breathing through a tube that reaches above the water’s surface. This is where we can see corals and fish and maybe, if we’re lucky, a ray. Each spread takes us deeper into the ocean and introduces the technology used by explorers: atmospheric diving suits, submersibles, and really deep-sea submersibles.

I like that Michelle focuses on the diving that scientists do for research, and that she focuses on how the technology aids in unlocking the secrets of the deep. And I love that there is a vertical spread (turn the book so it is taller than wide) that illustrates the different kinds of diving technology used from sub-surface to miles below. Of course there is back matter!

I caught up with Michelle a couple weeks ago to ask her One Question:

me: Have you done any diving? And what cool things did you see?

Michelle: Yes. When I went snorkeling in the Caribbean in 2016, I was amazed by how loud it was on the coral reef. That experience worked its way into the book where you see two snorkelers glimpsing angelfish amongst sea fans and eavesdropping “on parrotfish crunching on corals.”  

 I also learned to scuba dive while researching for Diving Deep. The deepest I went was 12 meters (about 40 feet). During my certification dive, my instructor brought me to see an octopus in its den. I was so excited, I squealed through my regulator. That octopus sighting went directly into the book: “We fly among fishes and spy an octopus in its den.”

I would be thrilled if I ever got an opportunity to go down in a deep-sea submersible. I most want to see bioluminescence in the deep-sea.

me: I love how your experiences add so much to your book. Now you've inspired me to try snorkeling next time I get to a body of water larger than the bathtub.

  

Beyond the Books:

Build an underwater viewing scope so you can see what lives in the water near you. Maybe there’s a pond, or a stream, or (if you are lucky) an ocean. You can use a tall yogurt container or a plastic milk jug or a 2-liter soda bottle to make your viewing scope. Plus you need some plastic wrap and rubber bands and a pair of scissors. Here’s how to make one.

Go snorkeling even if you are nowhere near the ocean. This video lets you see what snorkelers see in the Caribbean. 

Michelle also wrote Flying Deep ~ you can read about that book and my interview with her here.

Michelle is a member of #STEAMTeam2022. You can find out more about her at her website, www.michellecusolito.com

We’ll join Perfect Picture Book Friday once they resume. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Beach month ~ Let's go Fishing!

This is it – our last day at the beach. So I tucked two books in my tote: one about a fish, and one about the oceans that cover our planet. Have fun, and brush the sand off your feet before you come back inside.

Themes: ocean, fish, nature

Anglerfish: The Seadevil of the Deep 

by Elaine M. Alexander; illustrated by Fiona Fogg 

32 pages; ages 4-8

‎Candlewick, 2022

Far, far below the ocean’s surface, where no trace of sunlight can reach, Anglerfish makes her home.

Anglerfish may look scary, with that big mouth and sharp teeth. But she wasn’t always so big, or so toothy. Readers follow anglerfish from fry to fierce predator to releasing eggs for the next generation.

What I like about this book: I love how the dark, scary cover and the dark, mysterious illustrations bring us right into anglerfish’s deep, dark world. I really LOVE the illustration of crab trapped behind those sharp, sharp teeth. And I like how the back matter shows the ocean zones and adaptations of deep ocean fish. I also like the comparison of the different species of angler fish. I didn’t know there were so many!

Oceans : Shine-a-Light 

by Carron Brown; illus. by Becky Thorns 

36 pages; ages 4-8

‎ Kane Miller, 2022

Five great oceans ebb and flow over our planet…

When you look beneath the waves, you discover the oceans are filled with wildlife. Sometimes you have to look beneath the ice, sometimes amongst the kelp forests, and sometimes deep, down at the bottom of the dark, cold Atlantic. 

What I like about this book: Each page presents a mystery … who is hiding here? To solve the mystery, shine a flashlight behind the page or hold it up to the light to reveal what is hidden. It could be a narwal, a seal, or a turtle. It might even be a sea dragon! A map at the back shows a map of the world’s oceans and tells a bit more about them.

Beyond the Books:

Reel in a catch of books about fish and ocean stuff…. Here’s a few titles you might enjoy: Just Like Us! Fish, I See Sea Food, and Ocean Soup: A Recipe for You, Me, and a Cleaner Sea (links are to reviews)

Learn more about deep-sea anglerfish at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. 

Make a mini-ocean in a bottle. All you need are sand, shells, some small plastic ocean animals, and water. Oh, and a plastic bottle for the aquarium. Instructions here. You can find a whole bunch more ocean activities here.

We’ll join Perfect Picture Book Friday once they resume. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copies provided by the publishers.

Beach Month ~ Let's go Beachcombing!

 July is Going To The Beach month – so that’s what I’m doing. All month long I’ll share new books that focus on the ocean. If you don’t have an ocean - or a beach -  nearby, fill a bin with sand for your feet, set up a beach chair and umbrella, grab some lemonade, and enjoy the books and activities. 

Look What I Found at the Beach 

by Moira Butterfield; illus by Jesus Verona 

32 pages; ages 2-5

‎Nosy Crow / Candlewick Press, 2022

theme: summer, ocean, nature

We’re chasing waves and having fun. 

Water sparkles in the sun. 

Look what I found!

This is the perfect book to read before you head off to the beach. It’s so fun that you’ll be tempted to tuck it in your beach tote. Part field guide and part treasure hunt, we follow three friends as they comb the beach in search of shells, stones, and sea life.

Some spreads invite you to look for specific things: a sea star, tiny fish, some shrimp. 

 Other spreads explain how to identify things, such as different kinds of crabs you might find, or types of shells.

What I like about this book: I love the scavenger-hunt lists encouraging kids to look more closely at the illustrations. And I love that this book, like the previous one (Look What I Found in the Woods) is all about observations. Look! Notice! Pay attention to the things that are similar and things that make this crab/shell/feather different from that one. And that the final thought is for collectors to be thoughtful, taking only things that have washed up onshore. 

If I rated books, I would give this one 5 sea stars. 

Beyond the Books:

Indulge in some more beach reading. Check out these STEM books for the Beach, and Melissa Stewart's wonderful book, Seashells: More Than A Home.

Write some Postcards From the Beach ~ short notes about things you see, hear, smell during your beach day. Or write a haiku. Describe a shell or the sound of the waves. Here's one I wrote inspired by the shells in my bowl.

Play a beach game. Here’s one you can play even if  you don’t have a beach nearby. You need a large beach towel and an inflated beach ball (the big ones are more fun). Have people hold the ends and sides of the towel and put the ball in the middle. Now work together to bounce the ball. See how high you can get it!

Go on a Beach Scavenger hunt. Use a camera or notebook to “collect” your findings (unless they are washed up on shore…). Find: three different kinds of shells; seaweed; ; driftwood; bird tracks; a boat; a crab or other sea creature; a sand castle; footprints in the sand; someone fishing; cries of gull; sunhat; feather; bucket and shovel; small fish; pebbles or sea glass.

We’ll join Perfect Picture Book Friday once they resume. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books  at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the publisher.