This book is stunning and so encouraging! I love how relatable these sea creatures are, especially the gloomy octopus (for me, at least!). Learning about all of these sea creatures was so fun. The illustrations are incredible! My favorite was absolutely the leaf sheep - how stinking cute! Informative, gorgeously illustrated, and relatable... what more could you want?!

This short tome is full of beautiful illustrations, fun ocean critter facts, life advice, and great humor. That's more than a hat trick. That's, like, a helmet trick at that point. The illustrations are really spectacular; the art alone makes this worth it I think. The fun facts about these creatures are very, very fun, and I genuinely learned quite a bit, including about creatures I didn't even know about. And the advice? Some of it is decent advice. Some of it is fantastic advice. "If you're going to spiral, do it spectacularly." "Eyes are windows to the soul. And sometimes heads are windows to the eyes." Exactly my vein of weird humor. This book would make a great gift.

What an utterly fabulous book. Both fun and informative, it is perfect for readers of all ages. The illustrations are captivating and offer glimpses into an underwater world that is often overlooked. Some of the creatures included are truly wacky (looking at you, barreleye fish!) but their nuggets of advice are so heartwarming and will solicit many smiles. This book is the perfect type of tonic for an anxious world.

“Hey! No — over here in the water. It’s us, the friendly creatures of the sea.

“You’ve sent us so many messages over the years, although we’re not sure we understand the really oily ones. We think they might be cries for help? So we’ve been putting our heads, front segments, decentralized neurons, etc., together, and now we have a message for YOU.”

That message? “So we wanted you to know if you’re ever inspired to sink back into the sea’s watery depths, we’re here to welcome you with open tentacles and gaping mouths.”

Author Cara Giamo has packed this amusing book with some of the strangest of sea creatures, some from every level of the ocean, from surface to the darkest depths. And Vlad Stankovic’s illustrations do justice to the words — which is saying a lot! Leaving the Ocean Was a Mistake: Life Lessons from Sixty Sea Creatures will be the perfect gift for that middle-grade science- and/or animal-lover. Or for science- and/or animal-loving adults! Five big Brisingidae starfish!

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Quirk Books in exchange for an honest review.

This book is very unique! It combines humor and entertainment with informative, educational content, making it easy to digest. I was pleasantly surprised by how very enjoyable this book made learning about complicated topics. Highly recommend!

This is a fun and beautiful non-fiction picture book for adults. I know how accurate the pictures are, because I kept pausing to look up animals while thinking "There is no way that thing looks like that'. Reader, they do look like that. And just like a child with a children's book on this topic, I happily showed the pictures to those around me, and now I'm encouraging you to do the same. Look at these things! Aren't they weird? Aren't they neat?!

Ok, you had me at the title! This book is so funny and informative at the same time. Honestly, this is the best way to teach science. Strongly recommended.