Bookmarks: Sea Creatures Picture Books

Will your summer include a trip to the seaside? Maybe you can see some of God's amazing sea creatures up close. But even if you are a landlubber like me, you can still learn much about octopuses, lobsters, hermit crabs, and other sea creatures through the pages of these picture books.

Please note that some of these books did not glorify God as Creator (i.e. millions of years).

This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Lobster Boat by Brenda Z. Guiberson

A boy joins his uncle to check his lobster traps. Muted illustrations describe lobster fishing while teaching about the lobster life cycle.

Crab Moon by Ruth Horowitz

Lovely paintings share a boy's adventure with his mother watching horseshoe crabs come to the beach to lay their eggs. Includes information about horseshoe crabs – which are not crabs at all but sea creatures more closely related to spiders.

Is This a House for Hermit Crab? by Megan McDonald

Unlike most crabs, the hermit crab does not grow his own shell but must find an abandoned snail shell. This simple story with lovely illustrations tells of one hermit crab's search for the right home.

Hermit Crab's Home, Safe in a Shell by Janet Halfmann

A lovely tale sharing the life story of a land hermit crab. From a tiny floating creature to a wandering crab in search of a home to an adult returning to the water to lay her eggs—we learn more about these fascinating creatures in this book from the Smithsonian Institution Oceanic Collection.

Gentle Giant Octopus by Karen Wallace

Detailed paintings tell the story of the amazing octopus as she jets through the water and hangs her eggs.

About Mollusks by Cathryn Sill

With short sentences and detailed watercolors, this book gives easy-to-understand information about the amazing mollusk family. Squid, snails, ocutupuses, chitons, and whelks are only a few of the creatures featured. The back of the book gives more information on each page for an older child who is still curious.

Seashells,Crabs, and Sea Stars by Christiane Kump Tibbitts

This book combines great illustrations and fascinating details with beach projects such as a shell wind chime. I like that instead of trying to describe an entire family of sea creatures, they focus on one kind. For example, this book explains why early Spanish explorers thought the coon oyster climbed the mangrove trees. Amazing glimpse of God's variety in creation.

Outside and Inside Giant Squid by Sandra Markle

With photos and simple explanations, Markle peels back the mystery of the giant squid.

Star of the Sea by Janet Halfmann

Follow a starfish through its day and learn of the remarkable skills God gave to him to avoid danger. A simple story with good illustrations and more detailed information at the end of the book.

Pagoo by Holling  S. Holling

This is longer than the other picture books listed here, but this older book is well worth searching for. The short chapters tell the story of Pagoo, a tiny hermit crab, and his adventures in the tide pool world. Many sea creatures are described with fascinating detail and Holling's detailed drawings add immense value to the book.

What are books are you and your children reading?