What do you think?
Rate this book
The Wonder of Seashells: Discover the Meaning & Magic of the Ocean’s Treasures
Take a deep dive into the meaning and magic of the ocean’s diverse and colorful treasures with The Wonder of Seashells.
This book is a treasury of stories, science, and history about seashells. Sure to delight and surprise, this visual odyssey of the beauty of seashells reveals how shells enhance and inform the world around us. Exploring coasts and shells from across the globe, each unique shell will suddenly become familiar with The Wonder of Seashell’s beautiful illustrations and fascinating insights.
Full of realistic watercolor illustrations, The Wonder of Seashells delivers illuminating facts about seashells that are often overlooked. In this book, you’ll
Common varieties of shells throughout the world and their spiritual meaningsThe seashell’s role in the world of sea life and the ocean’s ecosystemsThe significance of their patterns and colorsSeashells in history as forms of currency, art, and musical instrumentsSeashell symbolism and cultural significance in different communities around the worldSeashells as sources of intuition and their connection to the spirit worldAnd much more!
Perfect for the coastal home or the passionate beach enthusiast, The Wonder of Seashells serves as a showpiece and a captivating reference to the sea’s treasures. Discover the beauty and significance of seashells on the sandy shores and in the deep blue sea.
This book is a treasury of stories, science, and history about seashells. Sure to delight and surprise, this visual odyssey of the beauty of seashells reveals how shells enhance and inform the world around us. Exploring coasts and shells from across the globe, each unique shell will suddenly become familiar with The Wonder of Seashell’s beautiful illustrations and fascinating insights.
Full of realistic watercolor illustrations, The Wonder of Seashells delivers illuminating facts about seashells that are often overlooked. In this book, you’ll
Common varieties of shells throughout the world and their spiritual meaningsThe seashell’s role in the world of sea life and the ocean’s ecosystemsThe significance of their patterns and colorsSeashells in history as forms of currency, art, and musical instrumentsSeashell symbolism and cultural significance in different communities around the worldSeashells as sources of intuition and their connection to the spirit worldAnd much more!
Perfect for the coastal home or the passionate beach enthusiast, The Wonder of Seashells serves as a showpiece and a captivating reference to the sea’s treasures. Discover the beauty and significance of seashells on the sandy shores and in the deep blue sea.
- GenresNonfictionNatureScience
144 pages, Hardcover
Published April 8, 2025
10 people are currently reading
3725 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
February 2, 2026
The Wonder of Seashells is a small book that takes a somewhat rounded look at the history of mollusks and their shells as related to human life. And even though it explores a few pages of actual mollusks it is a mere twenty pages in a book that is only a bit over one hundred and thirty pages, especially when one remembers there are thousands of individual species.
The book explores the mollusk family as a whole: what a seashell is and isn't, their history, how they are made and scientific names of their anatomy for starters. The book then enters a discussion of shell purposes, takes a look into special shells & their role in ocean environments as well as discusses the reason for shell appearances.
All of this is followed by a look into how human history and how seashells have intersected with a look into the practical and physical history before exploring their beauty and contributions in humans cultural life. From there the book ends with a look into the spiritual side of human life and shells while ending on a look into the mythoi and legends where they make an appearance.
There are some parts that are definitely repetitive but not too much while the author doesn't hold back on her own beliefs when it comes to threats and how we can supposedly fix the world even if it isn't feasible.
But my biggest annoyance is there was no effort to find and give credit to the original illustrator(s) of the beautiful artwork that fills the book. I know there are those who spaz on AI-generated books and for a good reason but what about those who use works that may now be general domain losing credit or even general acknowledgement since the original artists still had to put effort and work to make these beautiful pieces.
All in all, though, it is definitely a good starter book into the rounded role of creatures that we barely acknowledge even though they have been intertwined with human history since time immemorial.
The book explores the mollusk family as a whole: what a seashell is and isn't, their history, how they are made and scientific names of their anatomy for starters. The book then enters a discussion of shell purposes, takes a look into special shells & their role in ocean environments as well as discusses the reason for shell appearances.
All of this is followed by a look into how human history and how seashells have intersected with a look into the practical and physical history before exploring their beauty and contributions in humans cultural life. From there the book ends with a look into the spiritual side of human life and shells while ending on a look into the mythoi and legends where they make an appearance.
There are some parts that are definitely repetitive but not too much while the author doesn't hold back on her own beliefs when it comes to threats and how we can supposedly fix the world even if it isn't feasible.
But my biggest annoyance is there was no effort to find and give credit to the original illustrator(s) of the beautiful artwork that fills the book. I know there are those who spaz on AI-generated books and for a good reason but what about those who use works that may now be general domain losing credit or even general acknowledgement since the original artists still had to put effort and work to make these beautiful pieces.
All in all, though, it is definitely a good starter book into the rounded role of creatures that we barely acknowledge even though they have been intertwined with human history since time immemorial.
October 17, 2025
It took me a while to finish this book, only because I kept it hidden in my drawer after a full day of reading it. This book was honestly so informative, and now I know what my favourite type of shell is: a Heart Cockle!
January 29, 2026
Melissa Hobson, a freelance marine scientist journalist, presents the rich, complex undersea world in an accessible, whimsical style in The Wonder of Seashells. Celebrating the cultural and historical role of seashells along with the scientific facts, Hobson’s mini-compendium is informative, succinct, and wide-ranging in topic, in addition to being beautiful and educational. What can I say — I learned a lot about seashells!
The Wonder of Seashells is divided into several chapters and subchapters, each dealing with a different aspect of the study of seashells. Mollusks — marine invertebrates, the most common of which are oysters, conchs, scallops, clams, cowries, abalones, cockles, mussels, limpets, whelks — have shells that come in every possible variety of shape, pattern, and color. These shells serve as protection, camouflage, locomotion, and dozens of other purposes that give insight into the marvelous, diverse undersea world. The mollusks shed these shells eventually, and the shells then become food and homes for other creatures; they also are vital in filtering water quality, protecting the shorelines, and balancing the food chain. Human detriments like pollution, plastic refuse, and irresponsible shopping have threatened and even endangered a lot of ocean life (including mollusks), which makes environmental awareness crucial to the health of the oceans.
People throughout history have been fascinated with seashells, often using them as decorations, jewelry, recreational hobbies, and scientific research. Seashells are often worth a great deal of money and, in some cases, even used as currency themselves. Many cultures and religions have attributed significance to shells, using them as signs for pilgrimages, symbols of enlightenment, tokens of ancestors, and tools in sacred rituals. Seashells have featured in art and culture for thousands of years, serving as everything from boxing gloves and trumpets to religious offerings and afterlife ceremonies. Even associations with meditation, divination, and spiritual growth has allowed seashells to appear in many cultures’ mythologies and folklore, even through modernity. Seashells serve practical, scientific purposes as well — they can be used to make waterproof glues, medical treatments, aircraft protection, and solar energy.
Hobson’s writing is highly informative without being overwhelming or technical; along with helpful scientific definitions and very effective organization, The Wonder of Seashells presents information in a curio-shop approach. It’s almost like a miniature textbook, written in accessible language tinged with curiosity and wonder in addition to the academic knowledge. Hobson sparkles with humor and clear admiration for the dizzying array of shells and mollusks she presents. One of my favorite things about her writing is the personification she gives sea creatures — she constantly portrays their instinctive habits to things like food delivery services, love notes, cleaning crews, and sunscreen. Hobson’s prose is enchanting and image-based, bringing a touch of the whimsical to a delicate, mystifying subject. The only chapter I didn’t love in this book was the one on how seashells have been used in mysticism, but the other chapters more than made up for it to me.
My favorite part of The Wonder of Seashells, though, was the illustrations. Nearly every page is adorned with gorgeous sketched-and-painted illustrations of every variety of seashell. Each one is detailed, delicate, and labeled, and they all have the look of sketches taken straight from an oceanographer’s field notebook. Even the names of the shells are fascinating — paper nautilus, glory of the sea cone, argonaut, precious wentletrap, Venus comb murex, pyramid clio, sunflower sea star, flamingo tongue snail, geography cone snail, electric flame scallop, chocolate banded cowrie, and so many more. The stunning variety in these shells and their mollusks is an awesome reminder of God’s amazing creation and how much attention he pays to even the smallest, most distant creatures that most people never see.
And now, some fun facts about seashells that I learned from reading this book!
• Seashells have annual growth rings like trees (which you can use to tell how old they are) because mollusks don’t shed their shells until they die.
• The oldest seashell ever found was a quahog clam off the coast of Iceland — it was approximately 507 years old, dating back to the Ming Dynasty.
• Some mollusks gather other shells, coral, pebbles, etc. to paste onto their shells as both decoration and camouflage.
• Hermit crabs work in groups to ensure each of them gets the perfect new shell as they grow.
• Male Japanese pufferfish create elaborate artworks in the sand and decorate them with shells to attract mates.
• Seashells’ colors come from the food they eat, the temperature of the local water, and the minerals in the water around them.
• Electric flame scallops (also known as disco clams) confuse predators by flashing reflective lights at them like a light show.
• An abalone shell can be run over by a truck and not break because of its strong mother-of-pearl lining.
• The Indian volute snail creates fiery dragon pearls because it uses calcite and aragonite instead of nacre — that makes them the rarest pearls in the world!
• Sometimes the holes left in seashells can tell us how the mollusk met its ends.
• The oysters that make pearls are not true oysters, and the color of the pearl depends on the type of oyster that produced it.
• A man in 2022 found a rare purple pearl worth $4,000 while eating clams in a seafood restaurant.
• To hold onto rocks and weather storms, mussels use the same material (chitin) that gives mushrooms their structure and insects their wings.
• Limpets leave “home scars” (indentations on the rocks where they hang onto the same place) that match their shells exactly so they always know where to return home.
• Some ancient cultures used to use seashells as currency because they were uniform, light, and difficult to break or copy.
• The ancient Egyptians buried their dead with seashells for protection in the afterlife.
• The Shell Grotto in Margate, England is a cave filled with millions of unique shells, some of which are not local, and no one knows the origin or purpose.
• The “ocean trapped in the shell” sound we hear is actually the resonance of air vibrations inside the shell.
The Wonder of Seashells is divided into several chapters and subchapters, each dealing with a different aspect of the study of seashells. Mollusks — marine invertebrates, the most common of which are oysters, conchs, scallops, clams, cowries, abalones, cockles, mussels, limpets, whelks — have shells that come in every possible variety of shape, pattern, and color. These shells serve as protection, camouflage, locomotion, and dozens of other purposes that give insight into the marvelous, diverse undersea world. The mollusks shed these shells eventually, and the shells then become food and homes for other creatures; they also are vital in filtering water quality, protecting the shorelines, and balancing the food chain. Human detriments like pollution, plastic refuse, and irresponsible shopping have threatened and even endangered a lot of ocean life (including mollusks), which makes environmental awareness crucial to the health of the oceans.
People throughout history have been fascinated with seashells, often using them as decorations, jewelry, recreational hobbies, and scientific research. Seashells are often worth a great deal of money and, in some cases, even used as currency themselves. Many cultures and religions have attributed significance to shells, using them as signs for pilgrimages, symbols of enlightenment, tokens of ancestors, and tools in sacred rituals. Seashells have featured in art and culture for thousands of years, serving as everything from boxing gloves and trumpets to religious offerings and afterlife ceremonies. Even associations with meditation, divination, and spiritual growth has allowed seashells to appear in many cultures’ mythologies and folklore, even through modernity. Seashells serve practical, scientific purposes as well — they can be used to make waterproof glues, medical treatments, aircraft protection, and solar energy.
Hobson’s writing is highly informative without being overwhelming or technical; along with helpful scientific definitions and very effective organization, The Wonder of Seashells presents information in a curio-shop approach. It’s almost like a miniature textbook, written in accessible language tinged with curiosity and wonder in addition to the academic knowledge. Hobson sparkles with humor and clear admiration for the dizzying array of shells and mollusks she presents. One of my favorite things about her writing is the personification she gives sea creatures — she constantly portrays their instinctive habits to things like food delivery services, love notes, cleaning crews, and sunscreen. Hobson’s prose is enchanting and image-based, bringing a touch of the whimsical to a delicate, mystifying subject. The only chapter I didn’t love in this book was the one on how seashells have been used in mysticism, but the other chapters more than made up for it to me.
My favorite part of The Wonder of Seashells, though, was the illustrations. Nearly every page is adorned with gorgeous sketched-and-painted illustrations of every variety of seashell. Each one is detailed, delicate, and labeled, and they all have the look of sketches taken straight from an oceanographer’s field notebook. Even the names of the shells are fascinating — paper nautilus, glory of the sea cone, argonaut, precious wentletrap, Venus comb murex, pyramid clio, sunflower sea star, flamingo tongue snail, geography cone snail, electric flame scallop, chocolate banded cowrie, and so many more. The stunning variety in these shells and their mollusks is an awesome reminder of God’s amazing creation and how much attention he pays to even the smallest, most distant creatures that most people never see.
And now, some fun facts about seashells that I learned from reading this book!
• Seashells have annual growth rings like trees (which you can use to tell how old they are) because mollusks don’t shed their shells until they die.
• The oldest seashell ever found was a quahog clam off the coast of Iceland — it was approximately 507 years old, dating back to the Ming Dynasty.
• Some mollusks gather other shells, coral, pebbles, etc. to paste onto their shells as both decoration and camouflage.
• Hermit crabs work in groups to ensure each of them gets the perfect new shell as they grow.
• Male Japanese pufferfish create elaborate artworks in the sand and decorate them with shells to attract mates.
• Seashells’ colors come from the food they eat, the temperature of the local water, and the minerals in the water around them.
• Electric flame scallops (also known as disco clams) confuse predators by flashing reflective lights at them like a light show.
• An abalone shell can be run over by a truck and not break because of its strong mother-of-pearl lining.
• The Indian volute snail creates fiery dragon pearls because it uses calcite and aragonite instead of nacre — that makes them the rarest pearls in the world!
• Sometimes the holes left in seashells can tell us how the mollusk met its ends.
• The oysters that make pearls are not true oysters, and the color of the pearl depends on the type of oyster that produced it.
• A man in 2022 found a rare purple pearl worth $4,000 while eating clams in a seafood restaurant.
• To hold onto rocks and weather storms, mussels use the same material (chitin) that gives mushrooms their structure and insects their wings.
• Limpets leave “home scars” (indentations on the rocks where they hang onto the same place) that match their shells exactly so they always know where to return home.
• Some ancient cultures used to use seashells as currency because they were uniform, light, and difficult to break or copy.
• The ancient Egyptians buried their dead with seashells for protection in the afterlife.
• The Shell Grotto in Margate, England is a cave filled with millions of unique shells, some of which are not local, and no one knows the origin or purpose.
• The “ocean trapped in the shell” sound we hear is actually the resonance of air vibrations inside the shell.
May 18, 2025
This was magical! 🐚 Interesting, informative and written in accessible language for non science types, sparking curiosity, wonder and new respect for these ocean treasures.
“JAPANESE PUFFERFISH: A LOVE NOTE
While some animals rely on their looks to attract a mate, others show off their talents. The male Japanese pufferfish creates elaborate circular artwork in the sand as a labor of love for his sweetheart. It can take a week of non-stop work before this pièce de résistance is ready for its premiere-the current can wipe it all away if he stops for a rest, even briefly. For the cherry on top, he adds pieces of shell to the outer edges. This makes the structure more stable as well as making it look even more fabulous for the object of his affections. If the female is won over by this love token, she lays her eggs in the center of this elaborate nest, protected by the surrounding sculptures.”
“JAPANESE PUFFERFISH: A LOVE NOTE
While some animals rely on their looks to attract a mate, others show off their talents. The male Japanese pufferfish creates elaborate circular artwork in the sand as a labor of love for his sweetheart. It can take a week of non-stop work before this pièce de résistance is ready for its premiere-the current can wipe it all away if he stops for a rest, even briefly. For the cherry on top, he adds pieces of shell to the outer edges. This makes the structure more stable as well as making it look even more fabulous for the object of his affections. If the female is won over by this love token, she lays her eggs in the center of this elaborate nest, protected by the surrounding sculptures.”
December 31, 2025
This book delighted me with its breakdown of important facts about seashells. Easily digestible and I learned something with each chapter. Why had I never asked where seashells come from before?!? Well now I know people! Also the artwork was calming and just a pure delight.
Did you know we used to use pocket sized shells as currency because they were light weight, durable and hard to counterfeit?! I mean seriously this is an educational but easy read.
Borrowed this one and I need to keep an eye out for OWNING it. Great as a reference book as well.
Did you know we used to use pocket sized shells as currency because they were light weight, durable and hard to counterfeit?! I mean seriously this is an educational but easy read.
Borrowed this one and I need to keep an eye out for OWNING it. Great as a reference book as well.
January 3, 2026
Was hoping for more illustrations (mostly for completion’s sake), but the ones that were included were quite pretty. A lot of breadth in topics discussed
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews