30+ Awesome Ocean Books for Toddlers and Preschoolers

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Fill your book basket with ocean books for toddlers. These board books will help you introduce your little ones to the ocean and the animals that live in it.

Let your child fully explore these preschool ocean books. Since they’re all board books, they’re sturdy enough to hold up under normal toddler use.

And, the bright colors and fun pictures will help you teach even your youngest listeners all about the ocean.

Ocean Books for Toddlers

Below, I’ve featured just a handful of board books that will help your toddlers learn about ocean life and the animals that live in it.

You should be able to find them at your local library or book store. If you can’t find them locally, you can click each image cover to purchase them on Amazon.

The Ocean Alphabet Board Book – From speckled cod to jellyfish to the shiny shells of scallops, readers will be introduced to over twenty-six species that live in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Colors in the Ocean – Discover sea creatures to touch, colors to see, new words to hear, and critters to learn about, too. Babies will meet a yellow starfish, snapping crab, and more colorful sea creatures.

Baby Beluga – Join this adorable baby whale in a busy day at sea, culminating in a warm mother-child bedtime ending.

Deep Sea Dive – This exciting interactive board book lets kids explore the underwater world and learn about deep-sea creatures. They’ll meet a host of animals, from sharks and octopuses to puffer fish and sea turtles.

Hello, Ocean Friends – Making connections between images on a page and the real world is an important building block for your baby’s communication skills—and this charming introduction to ten ocean animal friends, paired with a friendly text, and bold basic patterns, provide a great high-contrast experience for young developing eyes.

Over in the Ocean In a Coral Reef – Kids will sing, clap, and count their way among pufferfish that puff, gruntfish that grunt and seahorses that flutter, and begin to appreciate life in the ocean.And the art will inspire many a project.

Good Night Ocean – Good Night Ocean explores whales, fish, crabs, eels, octopus, penguins, walruses, swordfish, seals, and sharks, battleships and submarines, beaches, islands, reefs, harbors, bays, icebergs, the Coast Guard, fishing boats, and more.

Guess Who Ocean Friends – Hidden behind “peekaboo” flaps, a turtle, sea lion, lobster, clownfish, and shark are just waiting to be discovered.

Good Night Beach – Good Night Beach features building sand castles by the ocean, boating, swimming, exploring the seashore, waves, tidal pools, surfing, fishing, snorkeling, crabs, seagulls, picnics, campfires, sunsets, and more.

I’m the Biggest Thing in the Ocean – As the hubristic squid goes about bragging, babies and toddlers will get an eyeful of undersea life—from shrimp and jellyfish to turtles and more.

You Are My Baby – Turn the pages to match the baby animals to their parents, and learn some early concepts along the way.

Ocean Creatures – Look at the beautiful creatures of the sea in this adorable board book featuring sea creatures kids will love.

Ocean Life – All young children love to play in the waves at the beach. Now here’s a Hello, World! board book that teaches them all about oceans and the creatures and plants that live there.

Mister Seahorse – When Mrs. Seahorse lays her eggs, she does it on Mr. Seahorse’s belly! She knows he will take good care of them. While he swims waiting for the eggs to hatch, he meets other underwater fathers caring for their babies.

Touch and Explore: The Ocean – What’s rough, scaly, smooth, or bumpy? What crawls or dives? In this splashy treat for visual learners and pre-readers kids can discover the facts, feel, and functions of over two dozen marine animals.

Pop-Up Peekaboo! Under the Sea – Turn the pages and lift the flaps of this delightful baby book to meet Diving Dolphin, Stripy Fish, and other exciting sea creatures waiting to pop out at you!

Sea Creatures – As kids push, pull, and slide their way through the pages, they’ll encounter some amazing creatures: scuttling crabs, tentacled jellyfish, slippery eels, and penguins, seals, and giant whales that like icy-cold water.

In My Ocean – Turn the colorful die-cut pages of this irresistible board book to discover just what makes little dolphin’s ocean so cozy.

A Walk by the Ocean – Curious toddlers and preschoolers will learn fun facts in this Smithsonian Kids book about dolphins, whales, sea turtles, sharks, and the fascinating creatures that live in the dark depths of the deep sea.

Sea Life – Alphaprints goes under the ocean to meet 20 fabulous sea creatures―from the tiny seahorse to the big, blue whale―all ingeniously created from embossed fingerprints and photographs of everyday things.

The Rainbow Fish – The award-winning book about a beautiful fish who finds friendship and happiness when he learns to share is now available in a board book edition for the youngest child.

Little Blue Boat – When you take the high seas with the Little Blue Boat, your baby or toddler will meet all kinds of ocean animals including dolphins, seals, otters, sharks, and more in this adorable lift-a-flap board book.

Hawaiian Ocean Lullaby – Journey along the soft waves of the tropic ocean with captivating moonlit scenes of whales, dolphins, mantas, and more.

Splash in the Ocean! – Splash in the ocean with 10 sound buttons! Swim through the world’s oceans and learn about whales, seals, dolphins and more with stunning photography.

Baby Fish: Finger Puppet Book – Where does Baby Fish like to explore? Follow along with this cute baby animal as it experiences its world, from playtime to bedtime.

On My Beach – Turn the colorful die-cut pages of this irresistible board book to discover just what makes little crab’s beach so cozy. Is it the soft sand? Is it the salty seaweed? No, it’s his loving family!

Under the Sea – Introduces animals found in the ocean, including dolphins, sharks, and seahorses.

If I Were a Whale – Toddlers will love to learn about whales swimming in the deep blue sea in this beautifully illustrated board book that shares simple whale facts in an imaginative way.

Little Dolphin: Finger Puppet Book – Watch Little Dolphin swim with friends in this simple, comforting story. Features a permanently attached plush finger puppet and peek-a-boo holes in every page, giving parents and children a fun, interactive way to play and read together.

Little Sea Turtle: Finger Puppet Book – A new title in the bestselling finger puppet series! Tiny tots will enjoy swimming with newly hatched baby sea turtles in Little Sea Turtle.

Oceans – Includes fascinating sea creatures from around the world, from whales and sharks to turtles and deep-sea fish.

Ocean – Babies and toddlers will learn about the ocean and visit with animals who call the ocean their home.

Moby Dick – Little Master Melville teaches little ones the language of the sea in Moby-Dick: An Ocean Primer. From ships and sailors to squawking gulls and moody good captains, Alison Oliver’s brilliant illustrations and Jennifer Adams’ clever, simple text will make a sea dog out of any young shipmate.

Ocean Wonders – Each page in this board book slides out to reveal a brightly illustrated sea creature with sparkling foil accents. A fun and interactive way for young children to learn about the creatures of the open sea and how they live.

Where Is Little Fish? – Children will leave no oyster shell uncracked and no clump of seaweed unexplored in their search for this bright and sprightly new friend from the creator of Maisy.

My Colorful Reef – Bubbles takes readers on a tour of her colorful reef in this concept board book!

Into the Ocean – Dive into the ocean to join a young turtle on a game of hide-and-seek, and learn about sea creatures and their habitat, with this beautiful, “touch and feel” layered board book.

Little Crab: Finger Puppet Book – This darling book has a permanently attached plush finger puppet and peek-a-boo holes in every page, presenting a super-fun way for parents and children to play and read together.

Good Night Fish – Put on your snorkel and fins, it’s time to dive into cool freshwater lakes, gentle rivers, and the salty depths of oceans. Exploring the fascinating world of fish has never been more fun or educational.

Round Out Your Unit with These Activities:

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