Tell Me about Oceans by Lisa Varchol Perron, illustrated by Jennifer Falkner. Little Simon, 2024. 9781665935593
Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 4
Format: Board book
What did you like about the book: A young brown skinned child with Afro puffs and her father enjoy a day at the beach in this lovely board book about the ocean. Rhyming couplets accompany the illustrations; the first couplet is from the child’s point of view and always starts with “Tell me why” and the second couplet is from the parent’s point of view with a simple answer. For example, the child asks “Tell me why the ocean’s blue beneath the sunny sky” and her father answers “Water scatters beams of sun, and blue light meets your eye.”
Accompanying this rhyming text is informational text at the bottom of the page with a deeper explanation of the scientific concept that is explored on the page (waves, tides, seaweed, color of the ocean, etc). The effect is a beautiful simple board book on one level with the option to more deeply explain how the ocean works for when kids are ready. I suspect many parents will only read the rhyming text for the first few reads and save the extra information for when kids express curiosity or ask questions about the ocean. Some readers or parents might find the extra information inappropriate for a young toddler, but for certain kids this will be perfect!
This is a lovely board book celebrating and inviting curiosity!
Anything you didn’t like about it? No
To whom would you recommend this book? Recommended for families that love to reread together and learn about the world.
Who should buy this book? Most public libraries and parents of super curious young kiddos.
Where would you shelve it ? Board books
Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? no
Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City and State: Laura Gardner, Dartmouth Middle School, Dartmouth, MA
Date of review: May 17, 2024
Youth Services Book Review 
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