Summer Unplugged: Under the Sea

We’re spending a lot of time in the water this summer. It’s no wonder the ocean is on my mind.

This is maybe my favorite booklist so far – just so many great under the sea themed books!

under the sea themed books

Picture Books

• Flotsam by David Wiesner – I love everything David Wiesner does, and this miiiiight be my favorite of his books. This clever wordless story of a camera that washes up on a beach filled with mysterious film is a total crowd-pleaser.
• Wave by Suzy Lee – Another wordless one, I’ve probably read this with Ella 50 times. She never gets tired of the story of a little girl timidly experiencing an ocean tide for the first time.
• Swim! Swim! by Lerch – Lerch can’t find anyone to be his friend in his little fishbowl. Everyone seems to be ignoring him. Is there hope for friendship for a little fish?
• This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen – This Caldecott winner follows a little fish who has stolen a hat. And he THINKS he’s gotten away with it.
• Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau by Jennifer Berne and Éric Puybaret – I always love a good non-fiction picture book, and this one, about the man who pioneered scuba diving is fascinating and beautiful.
• Shark v. Train by Chris Barton and Tom Lichtenheld – Who is stronger? Shark or Train? Who is faster? Who would win in ping pong or pie eating? You’ll never know if you don’t read this book. . . .
• Nugget and Fang: Friends Forever–or Snack Time? by Tammi Sauer and Michael Slack – A fish and a shark have been friends for a long time, but when the fish goes to school, he learns that sharks eat fish. Can Fang convince Nugget that he really isn’t going to have him for lunch?
• Memoirs of a Goldfish by Devin Scillian and Tim Bowers – A goldfish’s bowl is kind of lonely. But after a few new additions, he’s starting to miss the peace and quiet.
• Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle – Anything Eric Carle does is a masterpiece, I think. This one, about how different fish and underwater creatures care for their eggs and babies, is no exception.