Under the Sea is the theme for this year’s National Bookstart Week. It runs from Monday 6th to Sunday 12th June and many of our Hampshire Libraries will be running special events and activities to mark the occasion. Here are a few picture book titles you might like to share with your young children as part of the festivities.
1 2 3 Under the Sea – Martina Hogan & Frankie Jones
This simple, easy to handle board book lets you and your little one count under sea creatures together.
Age: 0+
Barry the Fish with Fingers – Sue Hendra
Meet Puffy the Puffer Fish who blows marvellous bubbles and Barry whose fabulous fingers lead to all kinds of fun and games. If you enjoy this story, there is another one featuring the same characters – plus a hairy scary monster.
Age: 3+
Dougal’s Deep-Sea Diary – Simon Bartram
Dougal’s day job is pretty boring so he gets very excited when it is time to go on holiday and enjoy his deep-sea diving hobby. This book for slightly older children is told in the form of a diary making it quite different from most picture books.
Age: 6+
Fidgety Fish and Friends – Ruth Galloway & Paul Bright
Some of the illustrations in this book of fishy poems have sparkles and texture so sharing the swishy rhymes becomes a multi-sensory experience.
Age: 3+
Jolly Olly Octopus -Tony Mitton & Guy Parker-Rees
Fun pictures and bouncy counting rhymes combine to make this book one you’ll want to share more than once.
Age: 2+
Mister Seahorse – Eric Carle
From the creator of The Very Hungry Caterpillar comes a book that shows how fathers play a major role in the birth of their children. There are quite a lot of words, but also some magical see-through pages which turn what could have been a ‘learning’ book into an adventure.
Age: 5+
Super Submarines – Tony Mitton & Ant Parker
There is plenty of technical language in this information book – perfect for those children who want to know ‘How?’, ‘Why?’ and ‘What?’
Age: 4+
The Rainbow Fish Finds His Way – Marcus Pfister (translated by J Alison James)
The original Rainbow Fish story is very popular, but did you know it is just the start of a series? In this story the Rainbow Fish gets lost during an undersea storm. He makes some new friends who help him find his way home.
Age: 3+
The Sea Monster – Sam Walshaw
Maisey and the pirates set sail in search of buried treasure, but something big, purple and grumpy is heading their way. This book is part of a series featuring Maisey and friends.
Age: 2+
The Shark in the Dark – Peter Bently & Ben Cort
The Shark in the Dark is hungry – and he is not friendly. Will the flustered fish become snacks? Or will they teach the shark a lesson?
Age: 4+
The Storm Whale – Benji Davies
This is a moving story about a lonely little boy who finds a young whale washed up on the beach.
Age: 4+
The Very Messy Mermaid – Tracey Corderoy & Kate Leake
Twinkletail’s parents want everything to be neat and tidy, but she wants a proper birthday party with friends – and mess! Can her fairy godmother save the day?
Age: 4+
To find your nearest Hampshire Library, visit our home page.
To find out more about National Bookstart Week, visit the national Bookstart website.
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