Review: Tales from the Ocean: 20 Bedtime Nature Stories

Tales from the Ocean: 20 Bedtime Nature Stories is a beautifully illustrated collection of tales featuring a wide range of ocean creatures which are sure to capture the imagination, and hearts, of young readers as they learn more about ocean habitats and creatures.

There are tales from different parts of the ocean including: the reef; coastal waters and shallows; tropical and temperate waters; and, arctic and polar waters. Each short story tells the tale of a creature who lives in these different parts of the ocean from the smallest shrimp to the largest blue whale and a myriad of delightful creatures in between.

Each story includes a stunning, vibrant full page colour illustration as well as heading and border illustrations which are guaranteed to delight young readers and engage them even more in these wonderful stories. The pages themselves reflect the colours of the ocean making this a truly stunning book.

Each tale is a perfect length to enjoy as a bedtime story, or with a class, ranging between three and six pages. I have no doubt that these stories will be enjoyed both by younger children who will enjoy listening to them and older children who will love to read them on their own.

Each story tells a gentle tale which gives an insight into the life of each creature and many share an important message. There is also a four-line rhyming verse to finish each story which shares facts about the creature told from its point of view.

In The Perfect Home for a Clam a young Giant Clam is searching for the perfect home but is taught a lesson about the value of patience when making an important decision. In Manatee’s New Friend, Manatee is determined to make friends with grumpy Big Crocodile who learns that everyone needs a friend. In Little Turtle’s Long Journey, Little Turtle hatches from her egg and follows her brothers and sisters towards the ocean, learning to hide from danger. In A Seal in a Storm, harbour seal enjoys exploring new places further and further from his home until one day he gets caught in a storm far out at sea and learns not to take anything for granted. This really is a wonderful collection of tales that I have no doubt children will return to again and again as they find their favourites and learn more about these fantastic ocean creatures.

There is also a useful section at the end of the book which gives more factual, fascinating information about each of the twenty creatures included in the stories – a great catalyst to encourage children to find out more about these wonderful creatures.

A gorgeously illustrated collection of nature stories from the oceans, perfect for young readers of 5+.

Thank you to Little Tiger for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.