Oceans of Possibilities: Penguins

Penguin Journey written by Angela Burke Kunkel

Illustrations and easy-to-read, rhyming text follow a colony of Emperor penguins as they emerge from the sea, find mates, care for their eggs, and are reunited when chicks have hatched. Includes author’s note about Emperor penguins and challenges threatening the species.

Vampenguin written and illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins

A young vampire trades places with a penguin at the zoo for a day of mischief and fun.

The Old Man and the Penguin: a true story of true friendship written by Julie Abery

This heartwarming picture book tells the true story of João Pereira de Souza, who found a Magellanic penguin covered in oil and starving near his home on an island off the coast of Rio de Janeiro. João spent a week cleaning the creature’s tarred feathers and feeding him a daily diet of fish before taking him back to the sea to let him go. But the penguin wouldn’t leave! He stayed with João for eleven months until finally disappearing. Now, every June, Dindim returns to de Souza’s home by the sea and stays until February — and every year he becomes more affectionate and appears even happier to see his human friend.

Bye, Penguin! Written and illustrated by Seou Lee

You’d think that a penguin stranded on an ever-smaller block of ice, on a trip around the world wouldn’t be so. FUN! But it is! There’s our fearless penguin passing the gondolas of Venice. There’s penguin floating by the Sydney Opera House! From the Aurora Borealis to a hilarious encounter with a surfer in Hawaii, this is a wordless journey that truly FROLICKS. In fact, the adventures are so amusing that most readers will barely register the nod to global warming until it’s slipped right in on the breath of a laugh.

Penguin Flies Home: a flight school story written and illustrated by Lita Judge

Even though his penguin friends would rather swim, Penguin dreams of flying.

Be Brave, Little Penguin written by Giles Andreae

Pip-Pip, the littlest penguin, is teased for being afraid of the water until, with his mother’s guidance, he finally jumps in.

Nonfiction

Puffins and Penguins written by Arnold Ringstad

Explores the similarities between puffins and penguins, and how to tell them apart. Discover how traits like habitat, ability to fly, and beak shape can be used to identify these black and white sea birds. Additional features include a side-by-side comparison of the animals, an activity encouraging readers to demonstrate their knowledge, a phonetic glossary, sources for further reading, an introduction to the author, and an index.

The Great Penguin Rescue: saving the African penguins written by Sandra Markle

The African Penguin population is critically low, due to various factors including climate change. Scientists and volunteers with a South African organization are helping to rescue these endangered birds by rearing abandoned chicks.”– Provided by publisher.

Despite South African government efforts to protect the penguin colonies and their ocean fish supply, young penguins still struggle to survive. Fuzzy chicks waiting for food in open nests may overheat in the sun or become prey. Others simply may not get enough food to survive on their own once their parents leave. Markle examines new conservation methods, including rescuing and hand-feeding vulnerable chicks, that are giving experts hope.

Printable penguin craft: http://learncreatelove.com/printable-penguin-craft/

Emperor penguins’ life cycle poster: https://photolibrary.usap.gov/PhotoDetails.aspx?filename=PENGUIN_LIFECYCLE_H.JPG

Penguin crayon resist water experiment: https://abcsofliteracy.com/penguin-science-experiment/

Oceans of Possibilities: Fish

The Library Fish written by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

When snow prevents Mr. Hughes from opening the library one day, book-loving Library Fish finds a way to entertain herself and her bookmobile friend.

A Tree for Mr. Fish written by Peter Stein

Bird and Cat meet in a tree. But someone already lives in this tree–Mr. Fish. And he does not want to share.

Save Your Friends written and illustrated by Hyewon Kyung

A variety of friendly fish and other sea creatures enlist the reader’s help in escaping a shark.

Tad written and illustrated by Benji Davies

Sometimes the biggest stories come from the smallest beginnings … Meet Tad. She’s the smallest tadpole in a big pond, and lives there with all her tadbrothers and tadsisters. Although something else lives there too … BIG BLUB! And when everyone else starts to disappear, Tad starts to wonder if Big Blub will get her too … Or is everyone else going somewhere else; somewhere better? And if so, will Tad ever get there too? A big story about a tiny tadpole – about growing up, branching out, and taking a leap into life. From the award-winning author and illustrator of The Storm Whale and Granddad’s Island, and the perfect story for everyone who’s ever grown up, or still has a way to go …

The Fish and the Cat written by Marianne Dubuc

A playful cat, a courageous fish… Where will their adventures take them?

Aquarium written and illustrated by Cynthia Alonso

In this wordless picture book, a little girl learns about love, nature, and the transformative power of letting go when a little fish leaps into her life.

The Only Fish in the Sea written by Philip Christian Stead

Sadie and Sherman set out to rescue little Ellsworth, the goldfish Amy Scott received for her birthday and threw right into the ocean.

The Blobfish Book written and illustrated by Jessica Olien

Perfect for fans of Battle Bunny and Z Is for Moose, this irresistible book within a book introduces us to Blobfish, known as the ugliest fish in the sea …or is he actually the fish who will steal our hearts? Did you know that the deepest parts of the ocean are over one mile deep: too far down for any sunlight to reach? That’s where Blobfish lives.

Nonfiction

Fish written by Dawn Titmus

A bowl, some water, and a couple of fish flakes, that’s all it takes to raise a fish, right? Not quite. Readers of this thorough guide will learn how to keep their scaly friends happy and healthy, and what to do if their fish gets sick. They’ll learn about different breeds of fishes and figure out which one is a good fit for their home and lifestyle. They’ll also learn about fish behavior, both in the wild and in the tank. Full-color photographs and stories about famous and newsworthy fish will amaze even reluctant readers.

Amazon Adventure: how tiny fish are saving the world’s largest rainforest written by Sy Montgomery

Part science, part carnival–this winding adventure down the Amazon River with award-winning author Sy Montgomery and photographer Keith Ellenbogen explores how tiny fish, called piabas, can help preserve not only the rainforest and it’s often misunderstood inhabitants, but the fate of our entire environment.

Swimming fish (a science experiment): https://deceptivelyeducational.blogspot.com/2015/08/swimming-fish-science-experiment.html?m=1

Make ocean zones in a jar: https://www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-and-experiments/make-ocean-zones-in-a-jar

Open sea cam: https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/live-cams/open-sea-cam

Ocean crafts and printables: https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/for-educators/learning-at-home/crafts-and-printables

Oceans of Possibilities: Beaches

The Big Beach Cleanup written by Charlotte Offsay

Cora’s sandcastle-building contest is canceled due to litter on the beach, but determined to save her favorite place she, along with a few friends, gets to work picking up single-use plastics that have washed onto shore.

Faraway Things written by Dave Eggers

Lucian enjoys searching the beach below his home for treasure, but after becoming attached to a mysterious cutlass he meets its owner, who offers something greater for its return.

Seaside Stroll written by Charles Trevino

A child, a doll, and an adult go for a walk on the beach one late afternoon of a cold winter day, before heading home to dinner and a bedtime story.

Smug Seagull written and illustrated by Maddie Frost

A smug seagull that loves swiping beach-goers’ snacks gets a taste of his own medicine from a patient crab.

My Ocean is Blue written by Darren Lebeuf

A girl with a disability explores every facet of the ocean during a day at the beach. A girl spends an entire day exploring the seaside with her mom. A keen observer, she sees the ocean as both “big” and “small” and both “sparkly” and “dull. It’s also “dotted and spiraled and wavy and straight.” Her ocean is full of sounds — it “splashes and crashes” and “laughs and hums.” But, at times, it’s silent. She is inspired to examine and celebrate every part of her ocean and doesn’t let anything hold her back. A delightful nature companion sure to awaken the explorer in every child.

This Beach is Loud! written and illustrated by Samantha Cotterill

A sensitive boy gets overwhelmed by all the sights, sounds, and sensations at the beach, but his dad has a trick to help his son face these unexpected obstacles.

Sandy Feet! Whose Feet? footprints at the shore written by Susan Wood

When a family spends a day at the beach, the children investigate various footprints to see what type of creatures live along the shoreline. Rhyming text turns a sandy beach into an outdoor classroom. The tracks and habits of local wildlife, including hopping sandpipers, scuttling crabs, and burrowing turtles, are identified and explained for young ecology detectives. Even Daddy’s feet make an appearance! And at day’s end, it’s time for tired feet to make their way home. STEM-based back matter includes information on how clues like footprints can identify the type of wildlife inhabiting any given habitat.

Nonfiction

At the Beach by Shira Evans

Take a stroll along the beach. What do you see? Young readers will learn all about the beach and the animals that call it home in this fun pre-reader. Through text features such as the vocabulary tree and the wrap-up activity, kids will be introduced to new words and concepts.

Taste safe ocean sensory bin: https://rainydaymum.co.uk/ocean-small-world-play/

Crab Toilet Paper Roll Craft: https://www.easypeasyandfun.com/crab-toilet-paper-roll-craft

Paper Plate Fish Craft – Rainbow Paper Circles: https://www.easypeasyandfun.com/paper-plate-fish-craft/