World Oceans Day picture book reads with Graffeg

To celebrate this World Oceans Day we'll be dipping our toes back into some of our favourite ocean-themed picture book reads.

First up, we must start with Swim, Shark, Swim! by Dom Conlon and Anastasia Izlesou. Swim, Shark, Swim! is the second book in the highly acclaimed Wild Wanderers series. From the leap of a hare and the gentlest breeze to a blazing star and ancient trees, Wild Wanderers is a series of poetic exploration which will inspire children across the world. Each book takes a gentle and lyrical journey through biodiversity, environment and challenges to unlock a world of wonder. Find out more below:

Swim around the world with Shark as he explores ocean forests and coastal reefs, meeting Hammerheads and Great Whites, stingrays and dolphins in a search for the place he calls home.

This picture book is made up of 13 immersive and mesmerising double-page illustrations taking a dive into the depths of the oceans, from the Pacific, to the Indian and everything in between. We are introduced to over 10 species of shark

Sharks are beautiful creatures who help keepthe ocean in balance. If the numbers of one typeof marine animal become too great then theycan do a lot of harm and reduce the diversity ofanimal and plant life in our seas. By hunting,sharks keep those numbers down.

Next up, we'd like to share Fletcher and the Rockpool by Julia Rawlinson and Tiphanie Beeke. This is the seventh book in the much-loved Fletcher series, where we see Fletcher travelling beyond the comfort of his woodland home for the first time for a trip to the beach. Find out more below.

When Fletcher tumbles happily onto the beach he is dazzled by the sun, sea and space. He soon finds a rockpool full of new friends… but as the sea disappears, they are stranded! Fletcher rushes to the rescue and manages to scoop up Little Crab… but do Fletcher’s new friends really need rescuing? Explore the glittering world beyond Fletcher’s wood in this heart-warming summer story.

The Fletcher series is a set of picture books written to encourage children's engagement with the world around them. Each book takes a journey through the seasons, with Fletcher and the Rockpool being the summer edition. 

We are introduced to a variety of wildlife you may come across at the beach through Tiphanie Beeke's glorious illustrations: crabs, limpets, periwinkles, jelly-red sea anemone, seals and seagulls.

The Molly series centres around the life of a young girl named Molly who lives on a quiet little island embarking on many sea side adventures: from saving beached Whales to fixing the broken light house. The next book in the series, Molly and the Dolphins is coming this August. Find out more below.

Molly’s fisherman father makes her a little dinghy and teaches her to sail. Soon Molly is scudding over the waves, with a pod of dolphins leaping all around.

She helps the dolphins when one gets tangled up in a fishing net. But what will happen when it’s Molly who needs help?

The dramatic and beautiful sixth book in this acclaimed series by an award-winning author/illustrator team sees young Molly take to the sea with joy, with confidence, and, as always, with kindness.

The Animal Surprises series is a set of rhyming books for ages 3-7 about the natural world, written by Nicola Davies and illustrated by Abbie Cameron. The third book, Into the Blue, is all about the characters of the deep blue sea. Find out more below.

Follow her young adventurer as she treks through the jungle, dives deep down into the sea and climbs high up into the trees. Into the Blue features delightful characters from the deep blue sea.

'Davies and Cameron ably depict the sheer variety of the underwater world accessibly for little ones, conveying a sense of wonder at all the amazing creatures the seas and oceans hold. [...] Davies' rhymes are fun and bouncy, giving lots of interesting facts that kids are bound to remember. There's a fun little puzzle at the end, too.' Booktrust