Tag Archives: ocean

Environmental Activism, stem

Obsessive About Octopuses [released 4/7]

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Written & Illustrated by: Owen Davey

For ages: 3 years and up

Language: English

Topics Covered: STEM, Ocean Creatures, Octopuses, Nature, Natural World, Conservation.

Summary: 

Folx, I’m not sure that I can adequately express how excited I am for this particular book to come out.  If you’ve been following our book reviews for a bit (which first of all, THANK YOU!) you will know what fans we are of this entire series by Owen Davey.  I honestly can’t choose my favorite one, and let’s be real it varies by the day and if I’ve seen a cool bug recently.  But this, THIS one…might be the best.  I know, big statement.  Let’s discuss!

I LOVE octopuses, and the ocean in general.  I have a half sleeve tattoo of the ocean, including several creatures (that all have names) but the first critter I got tattooed was an orange octopus named Hector.  Needless to say, I’m stoked to learn even more about this incredible animal that makes its home in all depths of the ocean. In this book is a plethora of information about intelligence, their diets, mimicry, and conservation.  I’m obsessed with the bright graphics and have been known to read it out loud to people at home (whether they were in the mood for a story or not) while excitedly pointing at illustrations.  Seriously, get your hands on a copy of this immediately and let’s talk.

This book was sent to us by Flying Eye, but all opinions are our own!

About the Author & Illustrator:

owen-2-2Owen Davey is an award-winning Illustrator, living & working in Leicester, UK. He has a First Class BA(Hons) Degree in Illustration from Falmouth University. Davey is a primary Illustrator for TwoDotswhich has been #1 in over 70 countries, as well as the illustrator of iPad App of the Year 2015 game, The Robot Factory.  His work has been published in every continent except Antarctica, including picture books in UK, America, Australia, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Portugal, China, Sweden, Russia & South Korea!

Girls Outdoors, Global Community, Women in Science, Women in STEM

Atlas of Ocean Adventures

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Written by: Emily Hawkins

Illustrated by: Lucy Letherland

For ages: 7 years and up

Language: English

Topics Covered: STEM, Nature, Natural World, Scientific Thinking, Discovery. 

Summary: This book is part of a larger set of atlas’ by Quarto as part of their Wide Eyed Editions books, focusing on curiosity and learning.  This is the only book in the series that we’ve seen (we won this in a giveaway) but the other books look amazing too!  We love to feature nature and science books as part of our beliefs that everyone can be a scientist, despite there sometimes being a single example of what a scientist is.  The world is an amazing place that needs diverse explorers and scientists to help solve life’s mysteries and to protect our precious natural resources and wild animals.

This is a massive book jam packed full of oceanic knowledge and adventure inspiration!  The entire book is beautiful and organized, with a helpful contents page at the beginning and an index at the end.  The illustrations make us want to grab some flippers and hop on into the water, searching for otters and whale sharks to befriend!  The atlas also does a lovely job of explaining the wonders of the aquatic world, and where they are in the world.  Lots of information is on the pages, but it doesn’t overwhelm the illustrations which are the star of the show here.  This is a great coffee-table book, and a must-have for the burgeoning marine biologist on your life!

There is even a “Can You Find?” section in the back right before the index!  There are a bunch of animals to seek out through the entire book, making another activity for readers.

About the Author & the Illustrator:

711233d6Lucy Letherland is an illustrator based in London, UK. She graduated from Manchester School of Art in 2011 with a First Class BA (Hons) in Illustration with Animation. Lucy’s work is strongly led by humour and narrative, creating a playful graphic quality. She uses a mix of hand-drawn and digital techniques to produce lively illustrations filled with detail.
In 2014 Lucy’s first picture book for children, Atlas of Adventures, was published by Wide Eyed Editions. It went on to win the UK Educational Writer’s Award 2015, and was also shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, The English Association’s 4-11 Picture Book Awards, and the UKLA Book Award 2016.
Her second, Atlas of Animal Adventures, won the Children’s Travel Book of the Year in the Edward Stanford Awards 2016.
B1LWRxb3lVS._US230_Emily Hawkins is a children’s author who loves making complicated things easy to understand. She has written books about all sorts of things, from cars, trains and ships to dinosaurs, magic tricks and mathematics. She co-wrote the Atlas of Animal Adventures (illustrated by Lucy Letherland), which won the Children’s Travel Book of the Year Award in 2016. Emily has also written several titles in the internationally popular Ology series, which has sold over 16 million copies worldwide. She holds a first-class English degree from Nottingham University, and lives in Winchester, England, with her young family.
Community Involvement, Environmental Activism, stem

Smart About Sharks

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Written & Illustrated by: Owen Davey

For ages: 5 and up

Language: English

Topics Covered: Nature, Environment, Sea Life, Community, Conservation, STEM, Sharks, Activism.  

Summary: Owen Davey does it again, this time about sharks!  In his typical bright, graphic style, readers cruise through the deep and learn everything there is to know about these carnivorous creatures. Starting again with a contents page, the reader can also follow a handy flowchart related to fins, learn about the different body parts, and inspect types of teeth.  The book also discusses shark diets, and why humans are attacked (hint: their silhouettes are similar to something much more tasty!).  Having some to-scale illustrations to other sharks as well as a kayaker, the reader can better understand just how varied the sharks species are.  An award page points out different shark attributes, such as longest fin and even a shark that barks!  Wrapping up with conservation efforts and mythology, this book will delight every reader.

There is also an index, which lists different orders covered in the book, as well as the sharks listed within those categories.  Both scientific and common names are listed!  This is one of four books in Davey’s series, which also covers beetles, cats, and monkeys.  This series is definitely recommended to anyone with an affinity for science!

Reflection Questions:

  • Did you learn about any new sharks?
  • What do you think a scientist that studies sharks does everyday?
  • What did you like most about this book?

Continuing the Conversation:

  • Learn more about shark conservation efforts.  What is their biggest threat?  Even if you live in a landlocked place, what could you do in your community that would benefit not just sharks, but all ocean life?
  • If you live close to one, take a trip to the aquarium!  What do you notice about the different ocean habitats and tanks there?  Are there any sharks?  Draw a picture to recreate your favorite display!
  • Sign up for Skype A Scientist, and connect with a marine biologist!  This program is free for classrooms, and after answering some questions a classroom will be able to Skype a scientist across the globe!  Have the class make a list of questions, and learn all about the different things that these people do for work.

About the Author & the Illustrator:

owenOwen Davey is an award-winning Illustrator, living & working in Leicester, UK. He has a First Class BA(Hons) Degree in Illustration from Falmouth University. Davey is a primary Illustrator for TwoDots which has been #1 in over 70 countries, as well as the illustrator of iPad App of the Year 2015 game, The Robot Factory.  His work has been published in every continent except Antarctica, including picture books in UK, America, Australia, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Portugal, China, Sweden, Russia & South Korea!