Thanks to the kind folks at Penguin Random House Canada, I had the marvellous opportunity to review a new entry in the Welcome to the Museum series called Oceanarium written by Lovesay Trinick and illustrated by Teagan White. Let’s take a closer look at this incredible book:

“Viewed from space, Earth’s surface is dominated by water, a vast area of blue…It is because we have water than life can exist…/…Many scientists believe that life on earth began in the ocean, overcoming cataclysmic asteroid strikes and toxic conditions to later emerge on land. From these microbial life-forms evolved every type of creature we see aboveground today.”– from Oceanarium (Welcome to the Museum series) written by Loveday Trinick, illustrated by Teagan White.

Written by marine biologist Loveday Trinick, illustrated by artist-illustrator Teagan White, Oceanarium takes readers on an outstandingly gorgeous and educational dive into the wonders of the ocean. Beginning with a “Welcome to Oceanarium” and an illustrated panel displaying the oceanic zones, their depth of habitats, and a cross-section of species found in each, Oceanarium is divided into nine ”Gallery” chapters. From plankton and cnidaria, arthropods, fish, reptiles (and more), Trinick and White organize each chapter with an introduction to the creatures in each group, a numbered full-page illustrative spread (plate), and a descriptive key to each creature on the plate. The gallery chapters also close with a look at one specific habitiat: for example, the gallery featuring mollusks and echinoderms includes a summarization and illustrative spread of the deep sea habitat. One of the closing chapters is entitled ”One Ocean”, with a concise look at scope of species that can be found in the open ocean; as well as a section called ’Humans and the Ocean’, with an honest yet optimistic ending note on the importance of conservation efforts, whether small or large scale. Back matter includes a “Library” chapter with a detailed Index list; information about our curators (Trinick and White); as well as sources for readers ’To Learn More.

For adults and children alike (…and truly, for curious minds of any age!), Oceanarium is one of the most eye-catching, wondrous and simply beautiful books about the ocean I have had the pleasure of experiencing. The pairing of Loveday Trinick’s engaging, inviting informative voice, with Teagan White’s naturalistic, realistic yet singularly breathtaking illustrations is perfect. (The plates featuring jellyfish, Portugese man-of-war, anemones, bivalves, crustaceans, cephalopods are just some of the particular standouts). For school libraries, for classrooms, home collections, or for readers interested in exploring and learning more about multiple aspects of ocean life, Oceanarium is a highly recommended pick.

I received a copy of this title courtesy of Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and comments are my own. Title has been published and is currently available.