Under the Sea Board Books for toddlers

Good morning, and Happy Thursday! Today I want review some of my favorite under the sea themed board books for children. I’ve posted about my favorite beach books for toddlers, but wanted to get a little more in-depth about what lies beneath the sea!

The ocean is a totally different world hiding beneath the surface of the water. A child can catch a glimpse of it while swimming and snorkeling or watching movies like Finding Nemo, but sometimes it’s hard to imagine the breadth and depth of the ocean, and everything that lives and grows there. The books I’ve included here are a great way to introduce your child to the great big world that is the ocean, and all the sharks, whales, fish, and countless other great creatures that live there.

the best under the sea board book pinterest pin

The Best Under The Sea Board Books

Mister Seahorse

Number one on my list is Mister Seahorse. This was one of the first books in Ava’s nursery. Mister Seahorse is a classic from Eric Carle with beautiful and colorful decorations. Mrs. Seahorse is pregnant, and she asks her husband Mr. Seahorse to carry the baby eggs for her (can humans do this too, please?). As Mr. Seahorse swims through the sea with his precious cargo, he runs into other male fish that also carry eggs for their partners.

A special feature is translucent hidden flaps where fish hide behind a rock or seaweed, and you must turn the flap will reveal the fish. This hide and seek is especially appealing to young ones. Mister Seahorse is recommended for children ages 2-5, although we have owned and enjoyed this book since birth.

Never Touch a Shark

I love these touch and feel board books! Never Touch a Shark is part of a popular series of board books about creatures you should never touch. We bought Never Touch a Monster for my youngest nephew’s first birthday (see the review here) and I was delighted to find more books in the series.

These board books explicitly tell the reader NOT to touch the shark (or whatever animal), and of course the reader will giggle and immediately touch it. The touch and feel element features soft silicone nubs and textures that are fun for baby to touch. The publisher recommends this books for children ages 2+ (although honestly not sure where they came up with that age, they are perfect for ages two and under in my opinion!)

Baby Beluga

🎵 …Baby Beluga in the deep blue sea… 🎵 This song by Raffi was a hit in our house when I was a child. My baby brother’s nickname was Baby Beluga. Baby Beluga is part of the Raffi Songs to Read book collection, which also includes Wheels on the Bus, Five Little Ducks, and Down by the Bay.

The story is about a baby beluga whale who has a busy day with his mother out and about in the ocean, watching and playing with different sea creatures. The book narrative is the song lyrics, while the illustrations highlight the text. The Wheels on the Bus board book is also on our bookshelf and frequently found in our book rotation. Sometimes we sing along with the book and sometimes we read it as a story.

The Rainbow Fish

The Rainbow Fish is illustrated with watercolor paint and has beautiful glittery foil fish scales. It’s about a self-centered fish who finds friendship when he is encouraged to share his beautiful scales. Rainbow Fish was such a huge hit when first published in 1999 that it inspired five sequels.

Keep in mind that the board book edition is abridged, which is perfect for little readers who might not be attentive to the whole story. The Rainbow Fish board book is recommended for children ages baby through three. The original book is for kids ages 4-8.

I’ll Follow the Moon

Is it just my kid, or do all toddlers love babies? Ava will say “aww, it’s a baaabbby!” whenever we see one in a book or around town. One of our favorite type of baby animals are baby turtles. In Florida we have a large sea turtle population (about 90% of US sea turtle nestings take place in Florida!) Each nesting season the baby sea turtles will hatch from their eggs and make the dangerous journey across the sand to the ocean to find their mothers.

I’ll Follow the Moon is about one baby turtle’s journey to the ocean. In addition to being a charming book, it also has the added benefit of donating the books’ proceeds to charity.

Bedtime for Baby Shark

I’m on the fence about this book so I saved it for last. If you’re a parent I’m sure you’re aware of the Baby Shark song. Last Halloween a coworker even dressed up as baby and mommy shark! Depending on how sick of the song you are, the book version goes something like this:

“Brush your teeth! Doo doo doo doo doo doo!
Take a bath! Doo doo doo doo doo doo!
Read a book! Doo doo doo doo doo doo!
Off to sleep!”

So this book is perfect to gift to an annoying person in your life, or for any child who loves baby shark. This book is recommended for children ages 3-5.