The PERFECT beach and summertime activity book for kids in elementary school. So many great activities that make learning so fun that kids won’t realize how much they are taking in. If you aren’t familiar with the book series, definitely check them out also for all of the facts.

As you'd expect, an activity book that wants you to get up close and personal with learning the critters of the coast, the fauna of the foreshore, the, er, life of the littoral areas. We get diagrams without their captions that we have to sort from the jumble provided, we have a sudoku kind of thing impossible to fill in in one and only one way, and away from the puzzles we have an empty gallery to be filled with images of the snails we gather.

Whereas other similar puzzle and activity books can be all over the place, I found this one a touch too loose, random and unstructured. It won't hurt anyone's learning but the education seemed to take a second fiddle to the word searches, the mazes and the drawing – oh, so much drawing. It's as if (a) the lessons are actually in a previous book this spins off from (which is true), and (b) this is from someone who puts the visuals before the text on the copyright line (she does). It's also a mish-mash of easy, junior puzzle with some added craft and just a tiny bit of log-booking, and responding to our own days out. Many potential readers may prefer more of the latter.

Written as a companion to Julia Rothman's popular Anatomy series, this Ocean Anatomy Activity Book includes:
shell observation sheets
"how to draw" pages for sealife
word searches
poetry templates
crossword puzzles
and more!
There is such a variety of activities in this book, it would be hard to list them all!

This activity book is illustrated in the same style as the original Ocean Anatomy book and would make a great educational addition to any home. It would be a wonderful companion to any homeschool nature study or as part of an ocean unit study. It would appeal to those upper elementary or middle school years, and would be a great item for any child wanting to learn more about ocean life. We loved it and can't wait to use more of the book.

*Disclaimer: I recieved a free e-copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Julia Rothman's Ocean Anatomy Activity Book is a fun, accurate, well written, and illustrated activity book for kids by Julia Rothman. Due out 19th March 2024 from Hachette on their Storey imprint, it's 64 pages and will be available in paperback format.

There are a number of different activities, and it's gratifying to see that the author has managed to make them *fun* and appealing for everyone and at the same time, basing them on actual scientific methods and observation. Kids (and facilitators) are invited to observe, count, and learn about ocean life and nature and record those observations. There are also word puzzles like scrambles and crosswords. Each page is illustrated in color.

Five stars. Due to the nature of activity books (being written in and *used*), it's probably not appropriate for library acquisition. Classroom use (for which it's certainly appropriate) would require a copy for each child. This would make a great purchase for home use or for gift giving.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

I swear each book I read in Julia Rothman's series of activity books is better and better in creating fun activities that engage students. I especially loved the Tidal Zone Ecosystem activity. So many of these align with the NGSS and are a fun way to have students engaging in the material that isn't the same-old-same-old boring work sheet.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC. The above is my honest opinion on Julia Rothman killing it.

Does anyone create a beautiful guidebook quite like Julia Rothman? This activity book is no exception. We have been a fan of her work for some time and this selection of beautifully illustrated and designed activities are no exception do that. She creates beautiful things that we love to look at. This activity book was great and we will be purchasing it for our family.

Julia Rothman's books are stunning and captivating. My children love her work. This activity book is especially fun! Full of beautiful illustrations, fun activities, and engaging information. My kids will enjoy these activities tremendously!

Lots of cool stuff for kids to learn (and adults!)
Perfect for around 8 and up. Entertaining for kids and perfect to keep them occupied.

What a fabulously fun activity book based on the ocean! There is so much to do in the book that even the most reluctant reader will get absorbed. Students from grades 2 and 3 and up will love the variety of things to do from mazes to drawing to word games to crafts, especially if they are intrigued by anything having to do with the ocean. There are several pages on how to draw ocean creatures and a page on how to use origami to make an angelfish. I was pleasantly surprised to see a page about lighthouses and students are encouraged to draw their own. Every time I turned the page there was another fun thing to do or create or find. There is reading involved but it is not a static read and I found it quite immersive. My students would have loved this and I will be recommending it to all of my student teachers and their mentors to add to their classroom libraries.
Thank you Storey Publishing and Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

So much fun! My daughter really enjoyed this!!! We love the Julia Rothman books and use them frequently in our homeschool, so of course this was the perfect addition!! It goes along wonderfully with the Ocean Anatomy book. My daughter is 8 years old, and we found this to be perfect to do together. There's a lot of activities, crafts, mazes, etc. included and they are engaging and make your child forget they are learning. And then of course, all the illustrations in this activity book are just as beautiful as they are in the ocean anatomy book! Highly recommend!

Thank you, Storey Publishing, and Net Galley for a gifted copy in return for my honest review.

Lovely kids book, would be ideal for taking on a beach trip or holiday!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my review.

Thank you, Storey Publishing, for the advance reading copy.

This book is the epitome of colourful, well illustrated fun filled activities related to the ocean and its wildlife.

I find the activities well planned and informative; quite fit for ages 8 and above.

You can take this book outdoors to encourage the kids to learn more about the ocean and its inhabitants. You can expect word puzzles, activities on craft/drawing/beach side activities, word plays, picture games, crosswords, journaling and so much more!

The best till date I say!

Absolutely love all things Julia Rothman and this activity book did not disappoint. As always with her work, I would recommend this!

What a great little activity book! This is the second of Julia Rothman's activity books I have read and they are interesting and engaging with some fun games and activities that will help keep your child or student(s) busy with a wide variety of options.

Julia Rothman’s “Ocean Anatomy Activity Book” is promoted as a learning tool for grammar school students 8-years of age and older. Be prepared though, because it’s definitely created towards your little geniuses.

Many activities are critically and analytically developed curriculum for advanced students. I feel this way due to the IQ-test-type (like challenges doctors may give seniors to determine dementia) incorporated into some of the activities.

Some of the more advanced activities are code-breaking exercises like learning to read and write using the Naval Flag Alphabet; listing ocean flora and fauna that begin with each letter of the alphabet; finding specific words and circling them in puzzles; identifying a diverse and complex range of shells; completing a puzzle maze, among others.

While some activities like practice drawing of certain ocean creatures seems more age-appropriate. Overall, I must commend Ms. Rothman’s approach and her artistic abilities. Although, some parts of the book would benefit from photographs rather colorful artwork.

In particular, all of the shells featured in the learning book would appear more detailed and with crisp line definition if photos were provided.

Nonetheless, I am impressed with the range of information available and presented in Rothman’s Ocean Anatomy activity book. Again, I’m just not sure how much of it a normal 2nd grader can handle without lots of assistance and guidance.

Commendably, for those of us teachers, parents and grandparents who aren’t as smart as a 2nd grader, the author thankfully placed an answer guide in the back.

JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author and Artist Julia Rothman, and Storey Publishing, LLC, an imprint of Workman Publishing Co., a subsidiary of Hachette Book Group, Inc. for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.

Julia Rothmann's Ocean Anatomy is one of the few books I bought directly after reading it through NetGalley, I loved it so much. So of course I had to check out this activity book based on the original!

As with the other book, it is wonderfully illustrated. The assignments are just the right difficulty for the age group. I love how there are a few how-to-draws in it that even I can use as an adult.

This book also has loads of information by itself, so it's not needed to have the Ocean Anatomy book to enjoy this activity book.

In all, this is the perfect mix between cute, inspirational and educational. Love it!

We have all of Julia Rothman's books except for the farm book, and our whole family loves them. The absolutely gorgeous draws pull you in and keeps you wanting to learn more no matter your age. I personally will be getting this for my 7 year old daughter and we will be working through it together. I love the mixture of different activities for learning. My daughter learns best by drawing it out and having that in the corner or the main project on some of the learning sections completely sold me. I hope one comes out for each book.

This is of course lovely, as all of Rothman's work is, but I have to say it's a little slight as activity books go. A lot of not very educational pages that just have an ocean anatomy theme (codes, mazes, etc.) - I'd have preferred more material that directly supports the science book.

Another great book by Rothman. Recommended for libraries, schools and homeschools. Lots of activities that kids are likely to enjoy.

We love all of the nature books. This activity book is also great! The illustrations and activities are wonderful.

*I was given a digital ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.