My eldest daughter loves anything to do with fish and the ocean, so today, I will be shining the spotlight on some books and games we’ve enjoyed recently.
First up is Look for Ladybird in Ocean City written and illustrated by Katherina Manolessou. I loved Where’s Wally as a child, and I couldn’t resist getting this book to share with my little girl.
Daisy and Basil and Ladybird go scuba diving on holiday but Ladybird sneaks away to Ocean City in a submarine.
Readers get to join in Daisy and Basil’s search for Ladybird. But it won’t be easy, you’ll have to search the crowed Seaweed Central Station and busy Octopus Gardens.
Katherina’s illustrations are vibrant and packed with wonderful little details. There is so much to discover and enjoy on each page it’s a book you can read over and over again and never get bored.
This book is the Where’s Wally of the ocean but with the added bonus of having a cute story. We loved it!
Publisher: Frances Lincoln Children’s Books
Publication date: 7 July 2020
ISBN: 978-1786037756
If you liked the sound of Look for Ladybird in Ocean City then I’m sure you’ll enjoy playing I Saw it First! Ocean designed by Caroline Selmes.
There is an incredible three hundred different ocean creatures scattered across this ingenious double-sided board. Each player picks a counter from the box and tries to spot it, shouting “I saw it first!” The idea is simple enough for my two-year to understand and play along.
We were all learning new unusual sea creatures by osmosis and whilst having great fun – the perfect combination!
Publisher: Laurence King Publishing
Publication date: 9 March 2020
ISBN: 978-1786275004
The next book I just HAD to talk about is The Blue Giant written and illustrated by Katie Cottle. Protecting our oceans is vital and there have been lots of lovely picture books written on this important topic. The Blue Giant is perhaps my favourite. Katie’s illustrations are stunning, the story is lovely, the message is aimed at child readers not adults and the suggestions at the back of the book for how we can all play our part are brilliant and achievable.
This engaging eco-take starts with a little girl called Meera visiting the seaside with her mum. Suddenly the waves rumble and reveal a blue giant who needs help. Meera and her mum discover all the rubbish that is harming the ocean and sea creatures.
It is a big problem…
… and Meera returns to the beach with a new sense of purpose. With the help of her friends, Meera shows us that if we all do a little bit, we can make a big difference. What a wonderful message for saving our oceans, and also humanity in general!
Publisher: Pavilion Children’s Books
Publication date: 6 August 2020
ISBN: 978-1843654513
Finally, I want to share another game from Laurence King Publishing. This time a classic – bingo! This ocean themed version of the game was created by Mike Unwin and Holly Exley.
We absolutely adore it. The boards are so beautifully designed and great quality boards that won’t get damaged by little hands.
Plus, LKP has also made the bingo boards available for digital download which means you can even play this game virtually with distant family members – a fantastic idea given the current Lockdown!
Publisher: Laurence King Publishing
Publication date: 16 July 2018
ISBN: 978-1786272515
I am very grateful to Quarto, Laurence King Publishing and Pavilion for providing me with complimentary copies of these books and games. This voluntary review contains my honest opinion.
Picture Book Perfect 
Leave a Reply