Deep Blue: Swimming in the Big Blue Sea

by Dashka Slater, Laura Hughes (Illustrator)

Swimming in the ocean can be scary, until Kayla uses her imagination to overcome her fears in this lyrical story for readers trying something new.

When Kayla’s favorite dolphin floatie loses its air at the beach, she wants to just sit on the sand. Daddy calls for her to play with him and her brother in the surf, but the DEEP BLUE SEA gulps sand out from underfoot, and a wave knocks her down, sending water up her nose. “I want to go home,” Kayla says. “I can’t swim without my dolphin.” But Daddy reminds her that she knows how to swim and even how to hold her breath underwater. He hoists her up on his shoulders and wades into the sea. “You be the island,” Kayla says. “I’ll be the lighthouse.” In a charming sequel to Wild Blue: Taming a Big-Kid Bike, author Dashka Slater and illustrator Laura Hughes take on another milestone moment, showing that with patience, a parent’s easygoing support, and a creative mindset, a child can gain the confidence to tackle a daunting new experience—and grow from clinging to a dolphin floatie to swimming through the ocean just like a dolphin!

32 pages, Hardcover

Published April 7, 2026

About the author

Dashka Slater’s novel, The Wishing Box, was named one of the best books of the year by the Los Angeles Times, which called it “an impish novel, hopeful and full of humor.” She is the author of four acclaimed children's books: Baby Shoes; Firefighters in the Dark; The Sea Serpent and Me and Dangerously Ever After. She has two picture books forthcoming in 2017, as well as the much-anticipated Young Adult non-fiction narrative The 57 Bus.

Slater is also an award-winning journalist who has written for such publications as Newsweek, More, Salon, Mother Jones, Sierra, and The New York Times Magazine. The recipient of a Creative Writing Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, she is currently working on new books for both children and adults. Learn more at www.dashkaslater.com.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes children need examples of other children swimming before they will be willing to try swimming. Perhaps this book could be that for your child. idk about mine, we'll see.

[Meghan Bohn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like how the book acknowledges that just because you know how to swim in a pool, doesn't mean you know how to swim in the ocean.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

A girl who is afraid of the sea, tries to overcome her fear with the help of her father and her imagination.
The illustrations were super cute!