Member Reviews

I love all the children's books that Carly Madden has put out! When I saw the opportunity to review one in advance through NetGalley I was thrilled to have the opportunity. The illustrations are beautiful, the book is thoughtfully shaped to be engaging for young readers aesthetically. The pages are colorful, fun, and informative. I love reading this book with my toddler and look forward to recommending our library purchase it as well!

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My daughter and I enjoyed this bright and colourful children's book, which is all about what it looks like under the sea, and what creatures live there. We had a lot of fun exploring the depths of the sea, and all the little creatures. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

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In these unusual rainbow-shaped board books, Evie and her dog Juno explore planets and oceans. Beginning with the inner ring of the rainbow, each spread is slightly larger than the previous one, and as you turn each page the spread becomes a half-circle. The text is brief but for older toddlers and preschoolers, with facts on the topic. In the book on planets, the first spread introduces Mercury, showing Evie and the dog skateboarding on the bumpy, hot surface. In the book on oceans, Evie and Juno visit a tide pool, coral reef, kelp forest, and more. The full color artwork depicts Evie with tan skin and black hair. This is fun for a wide age range, from preschoolers to emergent readers.

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I’ve actually reviewed another one of this series, called ‘Explore the Planets’. This book has the same make up of a series of pages or flaps which increase in size. Each of the flaps talks about a different section of the ocean starting with the beach and making its way through coral reefs, shipwrecks and the ocean zones.

Each page has a bit of text with some information and interesting pictures. The sizing of the pages really help children with the concept that there are layers of the ocean and that the larger parts of the ocean actually lay way further down.

The illustrations are like the other book in the series. I do enjoy them. they are very cute and all telling, keeping it also very fun.

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This was a wonderfully illustrated and super informative book. My kids really enjoyed learning about the ocean from this book. The information was light, the story felt very adventurous and it was just a perfect simple read for my kids. Would definitely recommend.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

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This is a great introduction to life under the sea! Follow Evie & her dog Juno as they explore tide pools, sunken ships & even the deepest, darkest midnight zone.

This book was perfect for my 2yo & my 4yo flipping the book layers while learning each layer of the ocean. It’s written for both to be able to understand and learn while showing really cool creatures that my 4yo insisted we research further!

Thank you so much NetGally, and Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books for this preview!

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An adorably sweet, colorful story about playfully exploring various depths of the ocean. We loved this book for it's beautiful color palette and illustrations that were fun and pleasing. My daughter kept giggling every time she saw the "hidden" crab on each page, it brought her great joy to see it throughout the book. Our favorite page was the kelp forest, it was captivating and beautifully colored. I only wish more of the sea creatures were named so we could learn their names together, as it turns out I have some sea creature brushing up to do! This is a fun, bright, and delightful read that would make a wonderful baby shower gift to start off a little library.

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What a fun book that uses layers, good information and wonderful illustrations to help anyone learn more about the flora and fauna that live within the depths of the sea!
The illustrations by Neil Clark are complex, delightful, colorful, vibrant, and imaginative.
Well suited for reading WITH someone of any age.
I really want to get one for my local public library!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from Quarto Publishing Group/Frances Lincoln Children's Books/Happy Yak via NetGalley. Thank you!

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Put on your scuba gear, and let’s Explore Under the Sea with Evie and Juno!

As an Educator, this book was a joy to read. I immediately recognized how much children aged infant to preschooler would love taking the plunge into this story!

My review criteria is based on five points: age, language, theme, uses and entertainment. Board books are often costly, so, what I look for in a board book is the ability to adapt and present this story to my Infants, Toddlers and PreK’s. This book gets a ⭐️from Ms Amy, because there is interesting content suitable for all my kids.

Explore Under the Sea, has the potential to be a rich language experience in a variety of ways. Young children will enjoy simply flipping through the pages and pointing out the variety of of colourful illustrations in a game I like to call, “What’s that?” Our youngest friends often point out elements of the story that interest them, waiting for a label, and with repeated engagement develop the language to play the game in reverse. This is where Neil Clark’s lovely illustrations shine. Older children will find interest in the storyline, which includes familiar words and new concepts. Two examples that made me smile were the uses of “forest,” and “unicorn.” Words most children know, but built upon as “Underwater Forest,” and “whales that look like Unicorns.” Familiar, but used in entirely new ways! This book is a trove of fun words including (but not limited to,): treasure, barnacle, shipwreck, twilight and creature. ⭐️

Thematically, this book is a delightful adventure that any child can relate to. As an Educator, I appreciate a story that very simply addresses respect, kindness and gentle treatment of each other and the world around us. I was immediately impressed by the this simple statement, on the second page.” Juno, stop! That’s not a bath sponge, it’s a living creature!” There is also mention that the Coral Reef is alive. That type of simple respect is where Explore Under the Sea won Ms Amy’s heart. ⭐️!

When discussing the language used in this book, I answered the question of my fourth criteria “use,” as well. This book is very well suited to reading in a Group Time, going over individually page by page, and as a tool for informal interactions on the floor. ⭐️

Finally, the best part… entertainment! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to being able to get my hands on a copy, once it is released. Carly Madden (Author,) and Neil Clark (Illustrator,) have come together to create an experience that is equally strong in language and visuals. Especially the last page which is a visual delight. There is an upcoming companion book, Explore the Planets, and I am confident that it’s going to be equally engaging. ⭐️

That is a sparkling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️’s for Explore Under the Sea! Thank you to Carly Madden, Neil Clark, Quarto Publishing Group and Frances Lincoln Children’s Group for approving my NetGalley request, and allowing my first review to be, as my new friend Evie says, “…a magical journey to explore the Ocean!”

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This book is made up of a series of pages or flaps which increase in size. Each of the flaps talks about a different section of the ocean starting with the beach and making its way through coral reefs, shipwrecks and the ocean zones. Each page has a bit of text with some information and interesting pictures. The make up of the book is unique and helps children with the concept that there are layers of the ocean and the parts we can sea are really just a very small section, whereas larger parts of the ocean actually lay way further down. While I think it was designed for young children, I think this book could be used in a classroom where you are discussing the ocean floor or habitat as I think it could be a good visual tool. I would recommend this book to parents of children in the 3-6 age range as well as teachers of elementary age students. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read and review this book!

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First, I love the shape of this book. The arc that increases in size as the pages are turned makes it seem like the adventure is getting bigger and bigger -- and it is.. The illustrations are cute. The exploration and commentary are fun (though there are lots of kinds of bears that aren't cuddly (e.g., a grizzly bear). The PDF has a problem with the print in the lower right. Anyway, I will order this book for my stores. It's really cute, and I just discovered there's another book coming out the same day by the same author in the same format.

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Such a cute book that is perfect for young animal/ nature lovers. It's a fun journey into the many depths of the ocean. The images are bright and the story a nice mix of non fiction mixed with fictional characters.

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Explore Under the Sea if a fun and colorful board book full of interesting facts about the ocean. Evie and her pet dog explore different underwater realms full of whimsical illustrations of real animals and facts about their environment.

Children and parents are sure to enjoy this one.

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Love these kinds of shaped picture books! Great info and colorfull pictures that adults and kids can enjoy. There is some text problems on the twilight zone page that I hope gets fixed before its published (lines of text are on top of each other).
Thank you NetGalley!

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This is such a fun book for toddlers and preschoolers! I was provided with an electronic copy to review, but I can imagine the rainbow-shaped book would be a delight in person.

This story follows Evie and her pup, Juno, on a journey through the depths of the oceans. It is colorful and the illustrations are cute. The text is playful, but it also relays tidbits of information about the ocean at all its depths, from the shore and tide pools to the twilight and midnight zones.

My kids are currently obsessed with all things ocean, and they loved getting to hear this story!

Thank you to Quarto Publishing Group – Frances Lincoln Children's Books and NetGalley for an advance reader copy!

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