Picture books about the sea

Try these colourful and imaginative stories for young children about life on and under the sea.

'Commotion in the ocean' by Giles Andreae and David Wojtowycz

Short poems about a variety of sea creatures from barnacles through crabs and turtles to sharks, whales and polar bears.

'The lighthouse keeper's breakfast' by Ronda and David Armitage

Mr and Mrs Grinling celebrate their lighthouse's 200th birthday with a huge fancy dress party. They dress up as pirates and to their delight meet some pirates who test them to see if they can join the crew.

'The lighthouse keeper's rescue' by Ronda and David Armitage

Mr Grinling keeps falling asleep on his way to light the lighthouse. At first the Grinlings think they might have to leave their lighthouse, but after they rescue a whale that has become stranded on the beach, there is another solution.

'Atlantis: the legend of a lost city' by Christina Balit

A retelling of the rise and fall of the fabulous city of Atlantis. A picture book for older readers.

'The smallest whale' by Elisabeth Beresford and Susan Field

When the smallest whale gets separated from his family he starts to follow a fishing boat instead and becomes beached. The whole village works at keeping him wet until the tide turns and he can be refloated.

'The fish who could wish' by John Bush and Paul Korky

The fantasies of a fish whose wishes come true until he makes a mistake in his wishes. A rhyming story with comical illustrations.

'Little turtle and the song of the sea' by Sheridan Cain and Norma Burgin

When Little Turtle hatches from his egg buried in the sand he can hear the sea calling to him and he makes the perilous journey down the beach. Wonderful illustrations show the vastness of the beach and the sea compared to the tiny baby turtle.

'The merrymaid of Zennor' by Charles Causley and Michael Foreman

A tale of a mermaid set in the past in a village in Cornwall. A farmer's boy sees a mermaid in church and his friend, a tin miner, goes with her to the sea. Later the farmer's boy helps to save their merbaby and sees the whole family in the sea. A mysterious story that reads like a folktale.

'Sharing a shell' by Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks

Crab needs to find a shell for his new home. Safe in his rock pool, he doesn't want to share it at first, but he, anemone and bristle worm live happily together, helping each other, until they outgrow their home and split up. It takes a storm and bristle worm for them to see that they belong together in this charming rhyming story with glittery illustrations.

'The snail and the whale' by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

An amusing rhyming story about a snail who wants to see the world and a humpback whale who offers his tail to the snail for a ride. Good illustrations showing the different parts of the world they travel to.

'Saving Sinbad!' by Michael Foreman

When the lifeboat men are needed they all leave their jobs and race to the boat and the builder's dog joins in the fun, swiping some sausages as the butcher's boy goes past. But he is needed too when Sinbad the dog falls into the sea. A good portrayal of how a lifeboat and its crew are part of a village.

'Fidgety fish' by Ruth Galloway

Fidgety Fish is out exploring when he decides to look in a big dark cave and 'snap' the big fish closes his mouth. Is Fidgety Fish fidgety enough to escape?

'Smiley shark' by Ruth Galloway

Smiley Shark just wants to be friendly but all the sea creatures run away from him. Is there anything he can do to show that he wants to play?

'By the sea' by Sally Hobson

A flip-flap book full of facts about people and animals who live in or near the sea.

'Unicorns! Unicorns!' by Geraldine McCaughrean and Sophie Windham

The Unicorns miss boarding Noah's Ark by helping all the animals that are going to be late. Noah shuts the door before they get there and they are left swimming in the sea. But the angels have been watching and turn them instead into the white horses that prance on the wave tops.

'Selkie' by Gillian McClure

Peter's granny tries to keep him away from Seal Island and the Oysterman who wants to catch a seal and force it to tell him the secrets of the sea. But Peter is curious, follows the Oysterman across the sands and finds a seal caught in his nets. When he frees it, the seal – who is a Selkie – turns into a girl. She is captured by the Oysterman but Peter again sets her free and in gratitude she teaches him the language of the sea.

'Captain Abdul's pirate school' by Colin McNaughton

The diary of a trainee pirate and the school where cheating and pushing in are encouraged and brushing teeth and hair are not. Lots of detail in the illustrations and plenty of surprises in the story.

'Curious clownfish' by Eric Maddern and Adrienne Kennaway

Among the many fish of the coral reef are the timid clownfish who never leave their anemone. But one day a curious clownfish is born who leaves in search of adventure. She meets lots of the creatures of the coral reef, some friendly, others not, before returning home.

'Fergus the sea dog' by Tony Maddox

Fergus leaves the farm and goes for a seaside holiday with Farmer Bob. He explores the beach, makes friends with another dog and goes on a fishing trip where they rescue a baby seal. But after sailing through a storm as the fishing boat returns to shore, Fergus decides he prefers life on the farm.

'Dolphin Boy' by Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman

Long ago, the fishing boats lay idle on the beach with no fish to catch, but when Jim finds a dolphin stranded on the beach the whole village helps to get him back into the sea. The dolphin returns to see Jim and lets him ride on his back. Eventually the fishing boats are making money again by taking visitors on trips to see the dolphins and the children swimming with them. But only one child can ride on a dolphin – Jim.

'Little albatross' by Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman

Little albatross is left alone for the first time while his parents go fishing. He is in danger from another bird and his parents face dangers on the seas. Atmospheric illustrations bring this factual tale to life.

'Captain Teachum's buried treasure' by Korky Paul and Peter Carter

Captain Teachum is a fearsome pirate who has plundered treasure and buried it all around the world. But he has three secrets he wants to keep hidden.

'The rainbow fish' by Marcus Pfister

The rainbow fish has beautifully glittery scales but is too proud to talk to the other fish and too selfish to share his dazzling scales and so is lonely. The wise octopus tells him how to make friends.

'Rainbow Fish and the big blue whale' by Marcus Pfister and Alison James

A whale joins the fish as they eat krill. They start to get frightened of the whale who gets angry and chases them into a dark cave. The rainbow fish makes peace with the whale who had been admiring their glittery scales, not thinking of eating them. An attractive sea story that also shows how a misunderstanding can escalate.

'Rainbow Fish and the sea monsters' cave' by Marcus Pfister and Alison James

The rainbow fish and his friends have to go into the sea monsters' cave to gather red algae for a sick fish. Once there, they find that the monsters aren't really monsters at all but other fish, or seaweed, or curiously-shaped rocks.

'The tide' by Nik Pollard

Picture book for younger readers with simple illustrations and clear text on fisherman and sea birds as the tide goes in and out.

'Can you catch a mermaid?' by Jane Ray

Eliza lives with her father who is a fisherman. She plays on her own on the beach but one day makes friends with a strange little girl. When the girl loses her coral mirror she can't return to the sea and Eliza has to decide between losing her friend and hiding the mirror.

'Under the sea' by Alastair Smith and Judy Tatchell

A lift-the-flap, non-fiction book packed with facts on animals and plants under the sea including deep-sea fish.

'The storm seal' by Judy Waite and Neil Reed

The story of a baby seal left stranded after a storm. A local fisherman rescues it, looks after it, and eventually trains it to be independent and returns it to the wild. A good story that emphasises that wild animals are not meant to be played with.

'Imagine you are a dolphin' by Karen Wallace and Mike Bostock

A factual book about a dolphin's life told in an imaginative, flowing text.

'Dolphinella' by Kit Wright and Peter Bailey

Ella is bored at a picnic so falls asleep by the river and dreams she is a dolphin, searching for King Neptune's boot. When she wakes up, she still has the jewel he gave her. Another rhyming story that is a sequel to Tigerella.

Go back to children's section home