Oceans, Insects, And More Great Kids’ Books!

This is a neat board book with flaps to lift that reveal some of the wonders you’ll find in a tide pool. A starfish mends, a hermit crab finds a new shell, an anemone hides from a seagull, and more. What makes this unique is that there are flaps within flaps. Toddlers will really enjoy playing with this one.

This is a lovely picture book based on the author’s experiences. Young Yaya dreams of being a mermaid before her mother awakens her early on the first day of spring. She and her mom take the A train and pick up her aunties along the way, all of whom dote on their little mermaid. The five go to the beach and present offerings to Mama Ocean in a ritual to celebrate and honor the changing seasons.

This simple picture book with gorgeous, warm illustrations reminds me of my own trips to the beach. Children awaken in a beach cabin and peek out the windows at the ocean. A young girl hides seashells under her pillow, adults chat in the kitchen and put together a puzzle, and sand gets everywhere. At the end of the day, the children fall asleep with the moon shining through their window. It’s a super sweet read.

This is a fascinating, large interactive nonfiction picture book in which kids can look through a three-colored lens at each intricate illustration and discover different types of ocean life. The red lens reveals fish, the green lens reveals aspects of the habitat, and the blue lens shows other ocean critters. The book examines ten ocean environments. This is part of a series that looks at different habitats, and they’re all so cool.