Review Detail

SUBMARINES is a delightful and educational journey into the ocean along with the curious kiwi bird, Karl. Karl dreams of exploring the ocean deep, and he considers how he can do so, when he reads a book and realizes that he needs to join a research submarine. As the book continues, he learns about the challenges of going into the deep, how to build a submarine, the history of submarines, human creations, the zones of the oceans, and more. The end of the book invites children to imagine what they will do in the future, such as build an underwater city or find new sources of energy.

What I loved: This is a highly enjoyable and educational book that includes a bit of a story along with approachable facts and information about exploring the deep ocean. Each page has plenty of pictures for children to explore as they read about submarines and the ocean. The paragraphs of text are written in approachable language that will speak to the early elementary school age group. Key color changes in text make them easy to read, even when the text is smaller.

The broad range of facts around the ocean and submarines teaches a lot and inspires a love of exploration and the ocean. There is a lot to learn, even for adults who are checking this out alongside their children. The inclusion of Karl as a part of the story makes the book flow throughout and adds some fun to the nonfiction style. A really fantastic part of this series is how the end of the book encourages children to dream and use their imaginations for the future. This sparks curiosity and lends itself to activities children can get into, such as designing their own underwater city or imagining what unknown creatures might live deeper in the ocean.

Final verdict: SUBMARINES is a delightful and educational book that will appeal to curious young elementary school aged children. There is plenty to learn about the ocean and submarines in this engaging, approachable, and nicely illustrated story.