Drop into the Ocean (Karen Wasson, illus Marta Tesoro, Hardie Grant Explore)

Drop into the Ocean: A tour of the world’s oceans and seas is exciting, colourful, entertaining and insightful. Packed with fun facts and well-researched information, it’s the type of book that transports us grown-ups back to our childhood wonder. Debut author Karen Wasson and illustrator Marta Tesoro introduce the reader to Neptune, a friendly moon jellyfish who serves as our knowledgeable tour guide around the world’s five oceans and their main seas. Neptune delights us with a treasure trove of fascinating discoveries, such as the revelation that the largest waterfall on Earth is actually underwater. We learn that the secret to bowhead whales’ remarkable longevity—they have ‘the longest life span of any mammal on Earth, living to over 200 years old!’—may be self-care. Neptune also shares the reason turtles cry and introduces us to the Spanish dancer sea slug, who, in fact, lives near Japan. What makes this book truly special is Tesoro’s breathtaking hand-drawn illustrations. The particularities of each of the explored seas and their animals are an explosion of colour and life. Ideal for ages 6+, the book ends with a simple suggestion for how humans can help save the oceans: pick up rubbish or ‘write a letter to those who make decisions’.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Nadia Heisler is an emerging writer from Perth. Born in Brazil, she has been published in short story collections and a flash fiction collection. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Category: Friday Unlocked reviews Reviews