Regular readers may be a bit confused when they see the title of today’s review post. Wasn’t there a review of this book a few weeks ago? Well…there was a review of Hello, Ocean! But trust me, today’s picture book is totally different. But it’s also a Perfect Picture Book.
Title: hello, ocean!
Written & Illustrated By: Corinna Luyken
Publisher/Date: Rocky Pond Books/2026
Suitable for Ages: 3-5
Themes/Topics: ocean, beach, beach clean up, free-verse poetry
Opening:
hello, sand
hello, toes
hello, ocean
hello, hello, hello!
Brief Synopsis: A young girl and her family spend a day at the beach.
Links to Resources:
· Check out the Teacher’s Guide;
· The family in hello, ocean! use items they find on the beach to build sandcastles. Look around your room, playroom, kitchen, or garden. What can you reuse in an art or building project to avoid creating more trash?
· Dive into these free ocean-themed art projects from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Why I Like this Book:
In this exuberant new picture book, Luyken invites readers to experience a joyful day at the beach through the eyes of a young girl visiting the ocean with her parents. The girl greets everything she sees and does with a cheery “hello,” helping us notice things big and small. Unlike the crowded, white-sand beaches seen in many books, this is a wild beach, windy, with dunes, grasses, razor clams, sea dollars, and much more. No beach umbrellas or swimsuits are in sight, nor do we see any other beach goers.
Although the overall tone of hello, ocean! is joyful, midway through the book the young protagonist comes face-to-face with a large pile of debris that has washed in from the sea. Her smiling face turns serious. She utters one word, “oh.” She, and the readers, pause. Take in the enormity of the situation. And then she and her parents get to work to bag up and cart out the trash, using some small bits to embellish sandcastles they then construct. The sight of pelicans and plovers rewards the family, and they enjoy a warm breeze and sunset’s glow – reminders of nature’s beauty and our need to protect it.
With few words and gorgeous, minimalist illustrations made with acryla gouache, ink, pencils, sponges, plastic netting and more set primarily against white backgrounds, hello, ocean! is a perfect escape to the beach for all ages.
A Note about Craft:
An unnamed young girl is the sole speaker in this low word-count picture book, with much of the text fashioned as a greeting to the things she sees and the actions she takes. Experiencing everything through her senses brings an immediacy to the work – I felt like I had spent a day at the beach after I’d read and reread hello, ocean!
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 