We talk a lot in our house about what it means to be a planet protector. Seventy percent of earth is covered by oceans, which means that ocean conservation is a crucial part of caring for the earth.  One of the best ways to inspire kids to want to protect our oceans is to learn more about them, and all the mysterious creatures that live there. Today I’m sharing some of our favorite books about life on the beach and under the sea, as well as ocean conservation.

23 Children’s Books about Sea Life and Ocean Conservation

Some of the children’s books on this list directly discuss ocean conservation and pollution, as well as how human actions affect oceans. Others are ideal for sparking children’s curiosity about the oceans, which can open up conversations about planet care.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase items through these links, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I was provided complimentary copies of the following books by their publishers, in exchange for my honest review: Ride the Wind, On the Reef, Enough Water, Where the Heart Is, and Billie the Octopus. All opinions are my own. You can read my full disclosure policy here. 

Ride the Wind by Nicola Davies and Salvatore Rubbino

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Ever since his mother died, Javier’s father Tomas has treated him harshly. So when their fishing boat accidentally snags an albatross in its fishing nets, Javier hides the injured bird in the ship’s hold. Once home, he finds village friends who help him get the supplies he needs to care for the mighty bird. She reminds him of his mother, “who was alone and sick and far from home.”

Each day the albatross shows signs of healing, but no interest in flying. Can Javier get her to fly before his father takes her away? (Recommended for ages 4 – 8)

Stella Díaz Never Gives Up by Angela Dominguez

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Stella loves ocean animals more than anything. When she learns that she’s been accepted into a special summer camp at the Shedd Aquarium, she knows it going to be an amazing summer. Then, her mother surprises her with a trip to Mexico, where she sees the ocean for the first time!

Stella is of course delighted, but she soon learns that her beloved animals are under threat because of human pollution. She wants to save the oceans, but she knows it’s too big a job to do alone. Can she work through her shyness to get others to ditch plastic and join her ocean conservation cause? (Recommended for ages 7 – 10)

Where the Heart Is by Irma Gold and Susannah Crispe

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I dare you to read this book and not close it with a smile on your face! Where the Heart Is is based on the true story of a Magellanic penguin named Dindim who washed up on a Brazilian beach as a baby. He was covered in oil until a man named Joao rescued him.

After a week of caring for him, Joao set out to return Dindim to his ocean home. Before Joao had even put his boat away, he found Dindim had returned! Their remarkable friendship will help children think of penguins, and the need to protect their ocean homes, in a whole new way. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7)

Whole Whale by Karen Yin and Nelleke Verhoeff

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One of the thing that’s so fascinating about the ocean is how immense some of its creatures are! In this playful, colorful romp of a story, animals from land and sea try to make room to fit a whole blue whale on the pages. After much suspense (and rhyming fun), readers see a great big spread of fold out pages is needed to contain the immense whale.

For kids who love to spot things in pictures or who enjoy counting, a page in the back shows them 100 animals to find in the previous pages. (Recommended for ages 3 – 6)

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Saving American Beach: The Biography of African American Environmentalist MaVynee Betsch by Heidi Tyline King and Ekua Holmes

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Ocean conservation and beach protection go hand in hand in this true story of an opera singer turned environmental activist. As a child, MaVynee Betsch loved spending her days on the Jacksonville, Florida beach that her grandfather had purchased so that segregation wouldn’t stop African Americans from enjoying the oceans.

When she returned to American Beach as an adult, it was neglected and forgotten, with developers eyeing it as a place to build condos. Betsch would do whatever it took to protect her beloved beach, from marching to Tallahassee to growing her hair seven feet long and decorating it with protest buttons. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8)

Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly

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When her teacher tells her about Blue 55, a whale who sings a song that no other whale can hear, it brings tears to Iris’ eyes. As the only deaf student in her class, she knows what it’s like to be misunderstood. Since her parents moved to a new place, she lost her deaf community and has to put up with kids like Nina, a pushy girl who incorrectly thinks she knows sign language.

Iris is determined to find a way to sing back to Blue 55, so that he’ll no longer be the loneliest whale in the ocean. (Recommended for ages 8 – 12)

What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting the Planet by Jess French

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My 9 year old was fascinated by this guide to how trash is impacting our planet, including our oceans. He read me fact after fact while sprawled out on the floor. From how palm oil is contributing to deforestation to the ocean’s great plastic garbage patch, this book covers so much. Tips for reducing, reusing, recycling, and participating in conservation efforts are sprinkled throughout the book. (Recommended for ages 7 – 12).

Related Post: How palm oil hurts the planet (and what kids can do)

Billie the Octopus by Lotus Kay and Chey Diehl

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Teen author Lotus Kay takes children under the sea to explore Billie the Octopus’ ocean home in this charming rhyming book Along the way, children learn about threats to Billie’s home, and the endnotes provide many practical ocean conservation ideas for children . (Recommended for ages 4 – 8)

The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World’s Coral Reefs by Kate Messner and Matthew Forsythe

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As a child, Ken Nedimyer loved exploring Florida’s coral reefs, wondering about the elaborate, colorful homes of rock on the ocean floor. As an adult, he was heartbroken when his dives revealed signs that the reefs were dying. It seemed there was nothing he could do to protect them.

But years later, while working at his “live rock” farm, Nedimyer came up with an idea that would eventually impact ocean conservation efforts around the world. He realized that by growing coral in aquariums and then carefully attaching them to existing rocks on the ocean floor, he could help regenerate coral colonies. Children will be fascinated with this story of how humans can begin to undo the harm we’ve caused to coral reefs. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8)

On the Reef by Judith and Shandley McMurray

When their father wins a trip to the Bahamas, Chloe and Zachary get to snorkel around a coral reef. While snorkeling, Zachary notices a turtle that’s barely swimming. Their guide Dwight realizes that the turtle has a plastic bag wrapped around its body. This engaging rescue and rehabilitation story is an excellent starting place for talking about what happens when trash ends up in our oceans. (Recommended for ages 5 – 10)

Related Post: 9 Ways Kids Can Protect the Planet, on Earth Day and Every Day

A Hole in the Bottom of the Sea by Jessica Law, Jill McDonald, and The Flannery Brothers

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The playful illustrations and catchy song lyrics of this interactive singalong teach children about the ocean’s food chain. Kids can observe how each animal protects itself from the predator who wants to feed on it. They may also be content just try to keep up with the rollicking pace of the song included on the singalong CD. There are also two pages of illustrated endnotes that explain the food chain, blue holes, and share more about the 5 animals featured in the song. (Recommended for ages 3 – 7)

Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea by Steve Jenkins

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So much of the ocean is still a mystery to scientists. Did you know that more people have walked on the moon than visited the deepest part of the ocean? Steve Jenkins uses collage illustrations and interesting facts to introduce kids to amazing animals at each zone of the ocean. I’d never thought about the ocean having a “twilight zone” before reading this book!

Whether your child already has a heart for ocean conversation, or just enjoys curious creatures, this book will be a hit! (Recommended for ages 5 – 9)

Ocean Seasons by Ron Hirschi and Kirsten Carlson

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I was intrigued by this book because I’d thought very little about the fact that there are distinct seasons, even in the ocean. There are only a few lines of texts on each page, making the book accessible for young readers, but a lot of information is covered. Illustrations show both what is happening at the ocean’s surface and deep below. There are also predator and prey cards in the back that the author has given readers permission to photocopy for an educational activity. (Recommended for ages 4 – 10).

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All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon and Katherine Tillotson

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I’ve been looking for a book to introduce our four year old to the water cycle, since he’s been asking lots of questions about where water comes from. All the Water in the World is ideal, with its simple explanation that “Water doesn’t come. It goes. Around.” Just like the water that is in the illustrations, the text itself swirls up and down and around. The book ends with the reminder that all water is precious. “Do not waste it. All delicious – we can taste it. Keep it clear, keep it clean…Keep Earth green!” (Recommended for ages 3 – 8).

Follow the Moon Home: A Tale of One Idea, Twenty Kids, and a Hundred Sea Turtles by Philippe Cousteau, Deborah Hopskinson, and Meilo So

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When Viv learns that many baby sea turtles aren’t making it to the ocean after they hatch, she wants to know why. After observing and researching, she realizes that the bright lights of the beachfront homes are confusing the turtles. She teams up with her classmates to launch a full scale campaign in their South Carolina beach community to make sure that the baby sea turtles can follow the moonlight toward their ocean home. (Recommended for ages 4 – 8)

Enough Water? A Guide to What We Have and How We Use It

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The opening section of Enough Water? explains that both flooding and drought are “two sides of the same coin,” primarily resulting from what we do as humans to the earth. A brief explanation of climate change and its effects are included, with striking photographs interspersed.

The heart of the book is “Water by the Numbers,” which gives a visual representation of exactly how many liters or gallons of water a typical product or activity involves. From flushing the toilet to using a disposable diaper to growing a watermelon, I was shocked at just how much water is used. The final seven pages of the books includes tips for reducing water use in all areas of life. (Recommended for ages 6 – 12).

Related Post: How Families Can Fight Climate Change in the Kitchen

Flotsam by David Wiesner

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I had a debate in my head about whether to include this visually stunning, imaginative wordless book in this particular book list. That’s because the heart of the story is an old camera that washes out to sea, showing decades of pictures made by various beach-goers around the world. Would kids get the idea that it’s okay for a bunch of junk to be floating in the ocean?

I decided I was being too literal, and that curiosity and wonder are two of our best assets in getting children interested in protecting our planet. Our four year old was delighted with the octopus reading a book and the aliens dancing with seahorses. I know this charming book increased his interest in what happens down in the deep blue sea. (Recommended for ages 4 – 10).

We’re Sailing to the Galapagos: A Week in the Pacific by Laurie Krebs and Grazia Restelli

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The cut paper illustrations set the tone for this lively book that follows that the strange and beautiful (and beautifully strange) animals who live on the Galapagos Islands. The youngest children will enjoy joining in on the sing-song text that closes each page: “We’re sailing to Galapagos, Galapagos, Galapagos. I wonder what we’ll see.”

The simple story follows red-pouched frigate birds, lava crabs, black iguanas and more. There are also 9 bonus pages of illustrated notes about the animals and Charles Darwin’s travels to Galapagos. (Recommended for ages 4 – 10).

Related Post: 6 Diverse Picture Books for Earth Day

First Big Book of the Ocean by Catherine D. Hughes

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Who better to help children explore the ocean that National Geographic? The large format, vivid photographs, and facts highlighted in circles make it ideal for kids who want to hop around the book. There are separate chapters on the animals of each of the world’s 4 oceans. There are also tips for parents and activities to help children use the book. (Recommended for ages 3 – 8)

A Symphony of Whales by Steve Schuch and Peter Sylvada 

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Based on a true event, A Symphony of Whales tells of the child Glashka’s gift. She is the only one in her village who can hear the song of Narna the whale. This gift leads her to discover a group of beluga whales, trapped in ice that is slowly blocking their way back to the warm areas of the sea. Her entire village must come together to save the creatures, using the power of music. (Recommended for ages 5 – 10).

What Lives in a Shell? by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld and Helen K. Davie

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This picture book includes many different animals that live in shells: land snails, turtles, crabs, hermit crabs, clams, and oysters. Little readers will become familiar with the many purposes of shells, as well as what they look like. I appreciated that the author reminds children that if they find a shell that an animal is living inside, they should observe the creature rather than touching it. (Recommended for ages 3 – 8).

Barefoot Books World Atlas by Nick Crane and David Dean

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This child-friendly atlas is filled with hand-painted illustrations and includes separate pages on each of the world’s oceans. Ecological information, such as the effects of climate change, and the enormous plastic garbage patch in the Pacific, plays an important part in the text. Readers will also learn facts about why the health of the oceans affects the entire planet. (Recommended for ages 4 – 12).

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Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle by Claire A. Nivola

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This biographical picture book shares the life story of marine biologist and botanist Sylvia Earle, a pioneering woman in her field. As a teenager, Sylvia’s hobby of snorkeling grew into her life’s passion of exploring the ocean. Children will likely marvel at her accounts of swimming near 80,000 pound humpback whales, who were just as interested in observing her and she was in watching them.

The story closes with Sylvia’s insight that “if we do not learn about the ocean world we will never really care about it or take care of it.” I can think of no better summary of why books that help children learn about the ocean are so important. (Recommended for ages 4 – 10).

What’s your favorite book about ocean life? Share in the comments!