Tuesday, May 24, 2016

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.


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.


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.


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?

8 comments :

  1. Looks like fantastic books for my children to pore over! Do you typically do unit studies in your homeschool?

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    1. We don't do unit studies as such but we do tend to choose a topic - either because our school books mention it or it is just an interest - and dive into the subject. And of course, that includes books! So when our history book mentions the Underground Railroad (for example) we will get ten books (or maybe 20) out of the library.
      Gina

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  2. We love Pagoo! I read it to the children a few years ago. We live very near the Pacific Ocean, on the east side of New Zealand's South Island. We have a 1-hour drive to church in Kaikoura, and for about 15-20 minutes the highway runs right along the coast (so close that when there is a storm the waves wash over the road), so we have spent a lot of time exploring the beach and rock pools. And by the way, a giant squid washed up on the beach in Kaikoura last year!

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    1. Emma -
      Wow! I can't imagine seeing the ocean frequently! What neat experiences for your children.
      Gina

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  3. Many thanks for sharing these! My daughters live a little ways from the Louisiana coast, so esutuarine and ocean life is a big part of their world. I'm definitely looking forward to ordering some of these for their next set of presents!

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  4. We always liked PADDLE-TO-THE-SEA by Holling C. Holling, though it not of your sea creature category.

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  5. Gina, I'm so excited to find your blog! A friend shared it with me when I asked about recipes for healthy jam. It looks like you love the same things I do - homemade goodness, gardens, books and children! And, although I'm not Mennonite, I love the Lord, too. I'm so, so eager to explore your posts more and try some of the sourdough recipes! Don't ever stop posting!

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  6. Thank you so much for sharing! We are big readers here! I love your bookmarks posts!
    Would you mind sharing what curriculum you use?
    Joy

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I love to hear from you.

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