Marine Life Books

Reef Life is a field guide to reef dwellers and other ocean creatures by Andrea Ferrari. The photographs are both stellar and stunning, providing easy identification. The descriptions of the species listings are thorough, and very informative. A variety of invertebrates, fishes, Eels, and mollusks are covered. Dozens of species of: triggerfish, pufferfish, squirrelfish, butterflyfish, and other invertebrates are inserted into the text. I prefer this over the Audubon Guides for a single reason. Pufferfish are my all time favorite creatures, and Reef Life does this little known fish family justice. Many species of puffers are shown and described, including: Oceanic puffers, Starry puffers, Porcupinefish, Northern puffers, and last but not least, the giant Map Pufferfish. This is not all for the worshippers of other species, however. There are ocean creatures for everyone to marvel at here.
The binding of this guide is high quality cardboard. Paperback would have worn out within weeks of use. The illustration on the cover seems to be different, with a photo of a butterflyfish instead of a clown trigger. One of the best deals on the market.

Andrea & Antonella Ferrari's Reef Life provides a comprehensive guide to 400 species which live in the world's coral reefs. Packed with color photos on every page, this is a 'must have' reference for any seeking a definitive yet affordable pocket gide.

This is a great book that my daughter has to read last thing, after all other books before she goes to sleep. It is an easy, refreshing read with soft, relaxing illustrations. It seems to put the heady dream machine into motion before the little people go off to sleep.

I've been reading this to my one year old and he adores it. The verse is soothing and the illustrations in pastels are a joy to look at. A different arctic animal is featured on each turn of the page including some species that you usually don't find in childrens books. The conversation between daughter and mother is absolutely touching. I bought this at the bargain price but think it is worth the full price.

With short stories, Migael Scherer takes you into the world of sailing. As a sailor, I find her way of capturing the simple essense of sailing and cruising, and the many experiences that go with it, and gently teasing a lesson from those experiences, a joy.

As a novice to sailing in the Puget Sound, with a desire to sail the fabled inside passage to Alaska described here, my wife and I enjoyed this book immensely. Migael Scherer's tales of the bears, the dangers of the wild, the water and weather obstacles, the pleasures of living aboard, and her efforts to wrestle with her own ghosts from a brutal rape and the loss of a close friend to cancer - create a carefully woven story that draws to the heroine's conclusion as the race comes to a close.

The analogies she draws between the bears, from Indian lore and her observations are wonderful - as is her experience of living in Alaska. We can't all get up there, but from the wonderful telling of her adventure, we can get close to the real southern Alaska environment. Both my wife and I enjoyed Migaels' insights into the sail regatta.

It's a very gentle adventure that's either an easy weekend read, or can be enjoyed over many a drizzly evening in Seattle. A great gift for the sailor - one men will enjoy and the ladies will applaud.

This is a very informative and helpful book for any beginner who wants to set up a saltwater aquarium!

As usual, I was pleased with Amazon delivering in a timely manner just what I expected. The book was a holiday gift. He was pleased. It's very good in text and illustrations for someone just starting out in the hobby.

I got the hint from his wife and in 5 minutes online picked out what I wanted and off it went. I always look in Amazon first before making any purchase.

There are ten fascinating tattoos of sea creatures in this little book. There's an ultra-colorful blue crab, a stately nautilus, a sprawling octopus, a graceful zebra lionfish, a lovely little blue spotted stingray, an ephemeral sea nettle, a tiny anemone, a sturdy northern sea star, a spiky northern lobster, and a whelk shell.

My three-year old boy got this as a birthday present. Once he saw it demonstrated on "daddy's" stomach (i.e., one temporary tattoo applied), he wanted one. We add one new tattoo each five days or so, just as the previous one wears out. He loves them, is learning the names of sea creatures and giggles like crazy when asked to show off his "lobster" or his "nautilus". I'm here to buy another copy!

i really enjoy the newer chris wormell books - the images are warmly painted and the stories are non-traditional and more thoughtful. if you only like disney type "sugary stories" you probably won;t like this book but little boys like adventure, danger and monsters - hence my 5 star rating. another wormell book - "ugly monster and stone rabbit" gets reviews at the extremes reflecting the different nature of the stories. i do think you have to tell this story - rather than just read it - what i mean is you need to use your voice and imagination a little to help convey things like the size of the monster and some of the core emotions (i.e., fear, awe, curiousity) . overall i absolutely love this book and so does my 2 year old son. eagerly awaiting wormell's next effort

A great sea monster lives at the bottom of the sea: but one day he swims to shore and begins his adventure on land. When a young boy finds a deep pool at the beach he discovers himself stranded when the sea takes his boat - and the sea monster finds a new toy to enjoy. A fun sea story with a different twist to its ending.

Did you know that octopi are as smart as dogs? Or that Viperfish have 350 lights in their mouths? You'll find these and more interesting facts in SEA MONSTERS, the companion research guide to DARK DAY IN THE DEEP SEA. Discover old sea monster legends, info on squids, octopi, and other animals in the abyss. Also learn about prehistoric sea monsters, and exploration of the deep sea. I've met the Scientific Consultant for this book, Dr. Sonke Johnsen, he said that "The world will need thousands of new Marine Biologists, because we've only just begun to explore the mysteries of the deep sea." I'd highly recommend this book to all fans of the MAGIC TREE HOUSE series, especially kids ages 7-12, who are interested in Deep Sea animals.

Fiat Lux!
-Cybill

I bought this on advanced order for my grandson who upon receiving the book began reading at once. He is a huge Mary Pope Osborne follower and reported that the book was worth waiting for.

This is a great book for anyone who loves sea otters! It's got great pictures and is very informative. The author didn't skip the details on these wonderful, adorable creatures!

Marianne Riedman does an excellent job of portraying the playful sea otter in its habitat. She brings us up close and personal with one of the most beloved marine mammals. Through this book, one can discover much about the sea otter's history and behavior. I recomend that all sea otter lovers read it.

Joy Hulme's Sea Squares is a fun rhyming romp that illustrates the concept of squaring numbers. The rhyme has a definite rythem to it and the illustrations are superb. The borders on each page hint and what the reader will find when the page is turned. The gorgeous use of color in these seascapes delights the eye. I won't buy a children's book unless the illustrations are at least as good as the text. My children love the book and didn't even realize it was a "math" book. I highly recommend adding it to your collection.

I like this book because it tells you how to times, 1 x 1 = 1, 10 x 10 = 100, like that. I also like this book because it goes from 1 to 10 and shows you sea life. And sometimes on the right side margin of the page you see part of what animal comes next. When you see a white tale, you know the next page is a whale, and if you see wings, you know the next page is a seagull.

Henry, age 7

It is a wonderful book full of amazing illustrations!

This heartwarming children's book tells in story form of the life cycle of Hatchling, a baby Loggerhead turtle. Written with scientific accuracy, the book also enraptures young children with the endearing pictures and story. The perserverance of the Hatchling will inspire all who read this book. Would like to see more books by the same author.