Monday was World Ocean Day, and to celebrate I’m featuring a soon-to-be-released Perfect Picture Book about oceans and the creatures that live there (note: I read a digital copy online at Edelweiss.plus).
Title: Hello, Ocean!
Written By: James Carter
Illustrated By: Stephanie Fizer Coleman
Publisher/Date: Post Wave Children’s Books/21 July 2026
Suitable for Ages: 3-5
Themes/Topics: nonfiction, oceans, water, nature, sea creatures, poetry
Opening:
A World of Water
It’s the biggest drop of H2O,
On any planet that we know
But not just big, it’s green it’s blue
It’s oh-so-deep it’s salty too.
Brief Synopsis: A series of poems about the oceans and the creatures that live there.
Links to Resources:
· Check out the back matter;
· Plan a perfect day at the beach. What will you wear? What will you eat? What sea creatures might you encounter?
· Discover ways you can help keep beaches and ocean waters clean and safe for people and sea creatures.
Why I Like this Book:
In a series of short poems, Carter introduces young children to oceans and the creatures they’ll find in and above the water. From sea birds to mollusks, whales and beyond, readers meet a variety of common and more unusual creatures. Each poem weaves across one spread drawing our eyes to the waters and the creatures as we read. Serene blues fill most spreads in this introduction to the oceans that comprise 70% of the earth’s surface. There’s even a poem explaining the water cycle, helping young listeners understand the connection between the weather cycle, rivers, and oceans.
Whether read to young toddlers at home or older children at school, Hello, Ocean! is a lovely introduction to the oceans and the creatures who call it home.
A Note about Craft:
Hello, Ocean! is a work of nonfiction that engages readers by breaking up information into short poems – snapshots of life along the beaches and tidepools at waters’ edges and in the water itself.
This Perfect Picture Book entry is being added to Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book list. Check out the other great picture books featured there!
Wander, Ponder, Write 