Cover Image: The Secret Life of Oceans

The Secret Life of Oceans

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

This is a fantastic book. The illustrations are colorful and sweet. It has a MASSIVE amount of information but it's delivered in a way that I think even younger kids would really respond to and learn from. I love that it has stories weaved in to break up the descriptions and facts about sea life. Added to my wishlist for sure!

Was this review helpful?

Secret Life of Oceans is a non-fiction picturebook about oceans.

Tia, the turtle, narrates the book and takes us on an incredible journey to learn about the oceans. We learn about the lifecycle and anatomy of a turtle. We also learn about the various creatures that live in the sea, big and small. The book also has mythical ocean stories from multiple countries. I liked the simple activity of spotting a sea creature on each page. The book ends with an important message about how to save our oceans and turtles. The illustrations are colorful and engaging.

Secret Life of Oceans is a STEM picture book that will change children into ocean lovers. Secret Life of Oceans is the first book I read in this series and will not be my last.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this thorough, vibrant and fun children’s nonfiction title about oceans. I loved the illustrations, which were cute and brightly colored. They made every page pop. I loved the choice to have the book be guided by a sea turtle main character. I know a lot about oceans but learned more facts from reading! I also loved the interstitial folklore.

Was this review helpful?

Lots of bright illustrations and interesting ocean facts. Its a very educational book about ocean life.

Was this review helpful?

The Secret Life of Oceans by Moira Butterfield is a unique blend of traditional folk tales and ocean facts. The unusual format is conducive to picking up the book again and again, reading a different section each time. Non-readers will enjoy the short, simple facts and the life-cycle progression illustrations which are easy to follow while an adult reads to them. Early readers will love getting general facts for each ocean area as well as listening to adults read the longer traditional tales to them. More advanced readers will enjoy reading through the different sections on their own and returning to their favorite sections again and again (mine was the Arctic section). I will be recommending this for purchase in all of our elementary school libraries.

Was this review helpful?

Beautiful little book! Read to my son tonight (4 years old) and he enjoyed looking at all the bright colorful pictures. Was wonderful to see that at the end-author included that we need to save the ocean and the turtles.

Thank you for providing me with a copy to read and review. Will buy it on release.

Was this review helpful?

Fun, informative and creative!! A great book that I’d buy for my nieces and nephews. I loved the “can you spot” parts. Added a nice I spy touch to the book. Amazing illustrations as well!

Was this review helpful?

I didn’t enjoy this book. I thought it had cute illustrations. However, I thought it was all over the place. It had little stories in the book, that were clearly fiction. Then, it gave you some factual information. I don’t think it blended well. I wouldn’t buy this book for my children. It would have been nice, if it was strictly fiction or nonfiction.

Was this review helpful?

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Anticipated publish date is May 2, 2023.

The Secret Life of Oceans starts off with an absolutely beautiful cover but it doesn't stop there. From the first page until the last the colorful illustrations draw the reader in. Follow Tia the Turtle through the Ocean to learn fun and educational facts. This book will be perfect for engaging young readers in a reading group or story time.

I imagine this will be a must have for Elementary teachers and can picture eager students sitting on the floor listening and getting excited. Target age 7+, but would interest much younger with an enthusiastic reader.
While it could be read cover to cover I think it will be best read in sections to allow time to engage and talk about.

My favorite part was the "fun facts" as told by Tia throughout the book. I appreciate the touch of reality given when teaching about the consequences of mistreating our ocean and animals.

Thank you to NetGalley, Quarto Publishing and Author Moira Butterfield for the advanced opportunity to read. Review will be posted to NetGalley and GoodReads.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Secret Life of Oceans offers a fascinating insight into the different types of animals and plants who live in our oceans. Dive deep into the sea to meet an array of sea creatures including tiny seahorses, blue whales and giant squids to name just a few. Discover how turtles find their way back where they have been born and the answers to many more question in this exquisite exploration of sea life. I think it is perfectly pitched for the younger reader offering a timely reminder of the danger our oceans face from damage caused by humans. Lavishly produced with the most interesting and thoughtful information, this book is a total triumph.

Was this review helpful?

A lovely book filled with beautiful illustrations and packed with facts about ocean life. I can see the appeal to young readers as well as their parents. I learned about different myths, animals, and ocean life in an engaging way without an information overload.

A great book for animal and ocean lovers and curious little ones

Was this review helpful?

This is an excellent book. I like the mix of facts and myths. Very well written and beautifully illustrated.

Was this review helpful?

Wow! These illustrations are so pretty, with just enough identifiers kids will be able to label different species! This book is filled with a lot of information about different creatures that live in our oceans, our oceans themselves, and the art really is beautiful. It also has short stories within, you could break this book up into multiple days of reading chunks for younger children, or the little oldest ones can finish it, but I bet they’ll be back to revisit it.

Was this review helpful?

Join Tia the green sea turtle for an epic exploration into some secrets of the sea in this science book that’s too much fun to be a “science book"!

Tia introduces herself by explaining how she hatched from an egg and is an animal called a “marine reptile.” The text quickly jumps to other facts about the ocean and its inhabitants, including methods of communication, the ocean’s gardens and chilly, slippery, and stormy spots, scary teeth and secret spines, living and working with the waves, and endangered ocean species. My favorite sections are My Giant Friends, The Day Seahorses Came, and Be a Turtle Friend.

Also included are text-related activities such as can you spot a penguin or a killer whale or a bobbing boat? It will keep young readers engaged and turning pages. The artwork is first-rate, with colorful illustrations that are bright and beautiful.

This is a clever blend of science, exploration, and “fun facts,” all told by a friendly green sea turtle. It will certainly appeal to the target audience of readers ages seven to eleven. It will also impart a love for and an appreciation of the secret life of oceans. What a gem!

Was this review helpful?

I love the ocean and water which is why I was very happy to read this arc. Sometimes reading a children's book is much more fun than reading an adult science book.

The information is very accessible. Of course it was kept easy for children but yet Butterfield wasn't shy talking about feeding and the eventual death of animals. I really liked this since death shouldn't be feared and the earlier it's taught the better kids will be able to understand it later on. I also appreciated the added pronunciation behind certain words. As a non-native english speaker this helped even me.

The art of this book is beautiful. The drawings are bright and pleasant to look at. The little tasks at the bottom right asking you to look for certain things on the pages makes you really take in and appreciate the art. All the animals were extremely adorable.

I adoredddd the diversity in this book. The different human characters but also the stories and myths of a bunch of different countries were delightful. I especially loved the sea tale from Chukotka.

I really liked the ending part of how animals in the ocean are suffering. It was a rather dark turn but it's just as important as learning about the ocean in general, maybe even more so. After a few heavy sides, the ending was hopeful; motivating children to help in tiny ways.

The only thing I wish was a bit different was the shark part. I wish they would've added that sharks are actually very gentle animals. Other than that this was as good as a children science book can get.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this book and I’m in my 30s haha great colourful illustrations and I found I actually learnt a lot from the book! Kids will love and learn a lot from this book. Highly recommend for sure.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you, Quarto Publishing Group, Moira Butterfield, and Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. My kids and I loved this book! It has lots of interesting facts as well as cool tales about these sea creatures from all over the world! It was fun and educational!

Was this review helpful?

This book was absolutely adorable! vibrant & colorful designs on each page kept me pulled in. The book was also fun because I learned new things I did not know about sea creatures.

Overall I was very impressed by this book and feel like my 3 year olds and my 6 year old would truly enjoy this book.

Was this review helpful?

Words could not even express how much I love this book. The illustration in this book is extremely beautiful and cute. It provides interesting information on marine life with an ocean-themed story every few pages.

It is the perfect book for sharing in classroom.

Was this review helpful?

Such a fun and interactive educational book! Has a wide variety of information, from facts to legends and more, on oceans.

Thank you, Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group- Frances Lincoln Children’s Books, for the advance reading copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?