My Ocean Is Blue

by Darren Lebeuf, Ashley Barron (Illustrations)

"This is my ocean," the young girl begins as she heads over the dunes with her mother. Then, as they pass the whole day at the seaside, she lyrically describes her ocean in simple, sensory detail. It's both "slimy" and "sandy," "sparkly" and "dull." It has wonderful sounds, as it "splashes and crashes and echoes and squawks." And it contains so many colors, from "rusted orange" to "runaway red," "faded white" to "polished green." Though "mostly it's blue." Nothing the girl experiences escapes her careful observation and appreciation. And at day's end, she can't wait for her next trip to the beach.

Author Darren Lebeuf, an award-winning photographer, uses spare text and a rhythmic style to create an evocative read-aloud. The vivid adjectives, both concrete and abstract, will inspire children to try to capture in words what they notice not only at the ocean, but in any natural setting. The bright, richly colored cut-paper collage illustrations by Ashley Barron add a captivating visual texture and depth to the story. The portrayal of a girl with a physical disability enjoying and actively participating in a day at the beach encourages all children to do the same in their own lives, while also offering a character education lesson in adaptability. This book has strong curriculum ties to primary nature units and life science lessons on oceans and the seaside, and it offers a perfect focus for nature-based education and outdoor classrooms.

Genres: Picture Books, Nature, Childrens, Disability, Fiction, Storytime, Canada

32 pages, Hardcover

First published March 3, 2020

About the author

Darren Lebeuf grew up on a humble acreage outside of Edmonton, Alberta, where he spent his days drawing, painting and exploring the outdoors. After studying art and design at Grant McEwan University, Darren started his creative career as an exhibit designer at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alberta.

In 2006 he set off on a world adventure. He lived in Asia for nine years, and became an internationally acclaimed family and wedding photographer. During that time, he began to pursue his long-lost passion for illustrating, and eventually created The Land of Le Beef, an online home for his collection of witty cartoons, yearly advent calendars and other illustration projects. He has written and/or illustrated a number of self-published picture books.

He now lives with his wife and two kids in Vancouver, the city that inspired his first published book, My Forest is Green.

Reviews

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book was a delightful surprise and I am sure my toddler is going to love it when he gets his hard copy.
The protagonist of the story is a little girl who uses crutches to help her to walk. I could really relate to her as I spent almost a year using them as a child. The girl spends a lovely day with her mother/ caregiver. She sees the ocean in its variety of colours and characteristics- big and small at the same time, shallow in some places and deep in others, slimy, sandy, sparkly, dry and wet. She focuses on sounds -the 'splashes and crashes and echoes, and squawks' - and marine life in its glorious diversity.
There is a lot of repetition which is important for a very young reader and a lot of vocabulary building (e.g. colours-'vibrant pink, rusty orange, faded white') to help your child describe their sensory experiences.
The cut-paper illustrations are simple and gorgeous at the same time. I would love to read more books illustrated by Ashley Barron.
Charming, original, inclusive, and beautiful.
Thank you to to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.

[La Coccinelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the team that brought us My Forest Is Green comes this lovely companion volume that focuses on the seaside.

A little girl goes with her mother (or perhaps aunt or friend) to the seaside. While there, she explores everything the ocean and beach have to offer, comparing and contrasting its qualities. The ocean can be many different things at different times, or even all at once.

Ashley Barron's beautiful cut-paper illustrations are just as lovely here as they were in My Forest Is Green. She's quickly becoming one of my favourite picture-book illustrators.

This is a strong book that celebrates marine habitats. There's no plot, really, but the premise doesn't need one. The book's strength is its ability to show a child fully experiencing the ocean landscape over the course of one magical day.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kids Can Press for providing a digital ARC.

[Natalie all_books_great_and_small · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This is a delightful book about a little girls day at the ocean and how things change all day long. It's a beautifully illustrated book and even though the book doesn't have a story as such, it gives beautiful descriptive language to boost a child's vocabulary and imagination throughout the story, and also celebrates the beauty of exploring and beautiful nature places too. I really enjoyed this book and my little one did too.

[Etienne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not really my style of book. The illustrations were not my style and it was a story with repetitive sentences and mostly no story, of course this kind of book are useful for young reader who just started to read sentences, I'm not saying it wasn't relevant, just hasn't much to offer in a category were there is so many books. it does have a good amount of adjectives and vocabulary building potential so that's a good element to it.

[Abby Johnson]

I love the gorgeous, creative illustrations that depict the ocean in many different forms. This is a great book for young beachgoers or for units on nature or water.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story featuring a little girl who uses crutches to help her to walk. I liked that this child could still do things and get around, even though there is some kind of issue with her walking. She spends a day at the beach with her mother. This story shows and describes her observations of that ocean. She sees it in its variety of colours and characteristics- big and small at the same time, shallow in some places and deep in others, slimy, sandy, sparkly, dry and wet. She uses her senses to see and hear the ocean, the 'splashes and crashes and echoes, and squawks'. I really enjoyed the illustrations. They were mixed media with some cut-paper illustrations, along with with collages, watercolor and acrylics. They showed the ocean moving, and breathing. This was a very unique story showing the powers of observation and description. The vocabulary was beautiful and would evoke discussion of what various words mean. A great book in any primary classroom. It would also make a great story to read before a vacation to the ocean. I definitely recommend this one. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

[Mother Goose Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautiful picture book examines all sorts of ways that the ocean can be, through the eyes of a child. She observes the tides, the sounds, and even the colors that represent the ocean.

[Nadine in NY Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

A completely charming and beautiful book about the always-changing ocean. (If you've been to the ocean more than once, you know that it's always changing, every day is different: some days the waves are rough, some days they are gentle, some days there is a strong north-south pull, and so on - you never quite know what you're going to get until you cross the sand dune barrier.) And of course, the ocean changes depending on what you are looking at, and that's what this book captures. The ocean is loud, the ocean is quiet, the ocean is sparkling, the ocean is dull, the ocean is slimy, the ocean is gritty ...

The paper collage artwork is beautiful, and the perfect accompaniment.

There's some nice disability rep here, too, since the little girl uses crutches. (Although I have no idea how you use crutches on sand!) Without pointing it out specifically, the artwork shows her using crutches to walk, and also shows her swimming, jumping in the ocean, sitting on a jetty, building sand castles, and all the other things little kids do at the ocean.

I'm not sure what kind of ocean has a low wooden pier you can jump off of, but I'm willing to accept that it exists somewhere.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet love letter to the magnificent ocean, that is always changing and has so many wonderful things to offer. It's a playful look at opposites and an ode to the beautiful blues. It also really captures how much fun you can have in one day at the beach. I can appreciate all that the child loves about the ocean, because I also love the ocean.

The illustrations are unique in a way, looking to be intricately cut and painted pieces of paper, maybe? You can tell they took an awful lot of time to be put together just right. And I felt like they did capture the essence of the story. And I appreciate how on the jacket, it says that the illustrator Ashley loves to spend time biking along her "ocean," aka Lake Ontario. I'm on the opposite side of the Great Lake from her and have also often thought of it as my own ocean. It is quite ocean-like, even though it is a lake.

Thank you to the publisher for fulfilling my review request via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Ocean is Blue by Darren Lebeuf, illustrated by Ashely Barron. PICTURE BOOK. Kids Can Press, 2020. $18. 9781525301438

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Through paper cut collage illustrations, this book is a rhythmic cataloguing of all the things the ocean is to a young girl. It is loud and it is quiet. It is rotten and it is fresh.

The young girl in the story uses double crutches but, while it is so good to see different abilities in a main character, the crutches do not become a showy part of the story. The pace and art is very soothing.

Jen Wecker, HS English Teacher
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...

[Donna Maguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to be added to Amazon UK and US on 3rd March 2020 - publication day!

I thought that this was a lovely book, I loved everything about it from cover to cover.

The images were lovely and the book is just the kind that my daughter loves. The way the book was set out was perfect and the flow of the story was spot on.

It is 5 stars from me for this one, I thought it was a lovely book - very highly recommended and one my daughter loved!

[Chantel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will start off by saying that somewhere in the adult mind exists the recollections of youth. When I was young I adored this style of illustration, it made me feel as though there were dimensions to be felt & held within the special book I was reading. I am glad to see this style come back again; it brought me to a time when the inside of a book held the whole world—the world I hoped to live in one day. Stories are vital & presenting all types is just as valuable as incorporating distinct art.

This is a story for a young reader, one who might be eager to jump in & name the colours on the page or highlight that the crab is red. I am appreciative of the conjoined efforts by the author & the illustrator, Ashley Barron, for creating a book so powerful in motion, as the waves on the sand. By welcoming the different kinds of oceans that exist in the world we welcome the possibility that every aspect of life exists in a nuanced state; nothing is quite like anything else though there are certainly similarities.

The characters in this book could be a mother & a daughter or a caretaker & a client. They could be a surrogate or a loved one, simply & for me, that is a welcomed possibility. Children deserve to see themselves in books. Just as I remembered the craft & worldly density of this art style, so too will children remember when they could see themselves within stories—those parts of our species that make us who we are.

This was a lovely book for a young audience who will be encouraged to participate, stay at attention, & be guided through memories of their environments & all the colours that exist around them.

Thank you to Edelweiss+, Kids Can Press, & Darren Lebeuf for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


My Ocean Is Blue is a simple but lyrical story made up of a series of descriptions of the ocean from a young girl's point of view as she visits the seaside with her mother for the day.

She observes the ocean and its many differences throughout the day, from high tide to low tide, from shallow water to deep, and more. She points out the colors that can be found if only you look for them, such as red crabs or polished green sea glass.

The illustrations are delightful, with a neat collaged or layered look with fun texture and everything we love about the sea! Especially all the blue!

The text is very minimal, which makes this a great book for little listeners or beginner readers, and has a calming and peaceful effect. It's the perfect book for introducing children to the ocean or as a great book to bring along on a beach day trip!

This review was originally shared on my book review blog, Lazy Day Literature.

[Henri3tt3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Über dieses Buch bin ich ganz zufällig bei Overdrive gestolpert. Das Cover hat mich magisch angezogen und das Thema ist sowieso meins, denn ich liebe Strand und Meer. Also habe ich es mir sofort ausgeliehen, denn es war verfügbar. Ich habe es gelesen und mich von den Bildern verzaubern lassen. Ich bin richtig verliebt in dieses schöne Buch!
Ich mag diesen Stil ("cut-paper collage") total gern, er erinnert mich immer an "Die kleine Raupe Nimmersatt". Das Besondere am eBook ist, dass es einen Play-Button gibt, mit dem man es sich auch vorlesen lassen kann. Das Buch gibt es leider noch nicht auf deutsch (warum nicht???), aber Kinder lernen heutzutage ja schon ab der dritten Schulklasse englisch und durch diese Vorlesefunktion hören sie direkt, wie die Wörter ausgesprochen werden. Das Buch ist ein prima Geschenk für Kinder, die bald ans Meer fahren, die schonmal am Meer waren oder die vom Meer träumen. Und auch für Erwachsene, die Strand und Meer so lieben wie ich. Ich finde ja, Kinderbücher sind nicht nur für Kinder. Nicht erst seit Harry Potter...

[Shannon Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great opportunity to teach your young one about adjectives, and also practice using their senses, as you can easily connect the senses the character uses to things you can see, smell, hear, touch, and feel around you. I especially like that this book features a character who has a disability, but it is not the focus of the story. Yes, the character uses crutches, but the focus is more on her ocean. We never learn what disability the child has, because it truly doesn’t matter to the story. It is a great way to show children that people with disabilities exist outside of their disability, and normalize the experience of someone with a disability.

I would highly recommend this book to read aloud to a young one who is starting to use language to explain what they are experiencing. It is a great chance to point out colors, textures, and use simple language that is easily accessible to those ages 3 and up.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Ocean Is Blue is about a little girl who uses canes to walk and explores the beach. You do not typically see this type of representation, so this was very refreshing. I bet a lot of young children do not even think that it is ever necessary for a young girl to use a cane. We watch her explore the ocean, looking at the color of the ocean waves and feeling the rough sand. The illustrations show how the ocean changes throughout the day based on the color of the sky and the movement of the water. Alluding to the fact that the girl must have spent all day at the beach. The illustrations are detailed and colorful, depicting parts of the beach and ocean. The text is beautifully written and also has lots of repetitive words, which is good for young readers. They can pick up on the repetition and even begin to chant some of the phrases. 

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the illustrations, both of the landscape/oceanscape but of the characters. You see a little girl who sometimes uses canes, but not always. She seems to have no limits in this book, which is AMAZING. Without the illustrations showing the canes, you wouldn't know she uses them.
The text is simple, describing the ocean and how it changes. The illustrations are both simple and highly detailed, with the text well balanced on each page. There isn't humor or action in this story, so some kids won't want to read it a second time, but there is a ton to look at. This book makes you want to visit the ocean.

[FM Family · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is a neat, simple story about visiting the seaside but which has an added, subtle component of representing a child with a disability in a way that his secondary to the story. I think it's great for one of those "what happens by the seaside?" books. My 3.5 year old is unfortunately going through a period right now where she doesn't like books that aren't really dialogue heavy, so I didn't read this one much, but I think it works pretty well for this type of a book.

Was going to say it reminds me a lot of "My Forest is Green" and then looked at the title and realized - this is in the same 'series' as that book. Definitely worth a read.

[Taylor Galloway · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this poetic, upbeat story readers are brought along as a little girl who uses canes to walk explores the beach. Although her disability is not the main point of the story it is nice to see it represented in the story. We see the young girl explore the ocean from the color of the ocean waves to the feeling of the rough sand. Also, we are able to see how the ocean changes throughout the day from the color of the sky and the movement of the water. Accompanying the simple text are detailed, and colorful illustrations of parts of the beach and ocean. Students might not love this story since it is not action packed. However, it is one that I would love to see inside my classroom.

[Anne Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sweet book with pretty, multi-textured illustrations. It gives the perspective of a young girl as she describes the ocean she loves so much. Throughout the book, we can see her enjoying the ocean and beach, and she seems very peaceful. Apparent from the illustrations is the fact that she uses crutches and has a physical disability. I like that this isn't actually mentioned in the text or made a big deal of. Readers with physical disabilities can see this girl living her life as a regular kid rather than being defined by her disability by the author. The writing is very poetic, which reflects the beauty the girl sees in the ocean.

[Cynthia June Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ocean is many things: shallow (tide receding) and deep (high tide); slimy (sea weed) and polished green (sea glass).
Many views of an ocean.
A great lesson on perspective.
Attractive paper collage illustrations.
Pair for a STEM activity: different colors (depths) of ocean activity (multiple jars of water dyed in varying shades of blue): https://www.icanteachmychild.com/make... or https://www.learningresources.com/blo... or https://www.kcedventures.com/blog/oce...

A quiet book with as much depth as the ocean.

[Melanie Duvic · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the book My Ocean Is Blue, a little child who walks with a cane visits the beach. As we watch her explore the ocean, we notice the color of the waves and how the beach is rough. Based on the color of the sky and the motion of the water, the pictures demonstrate how the ocean varies throughout the day. Parts of the beach and water are included in the pictures, which are vivid and detailed. The text is exquisitely written and has many phrases that are repeated, which is helpful for young readers. They are able to recognize the repetition and may even start chanting some of the words.

[Malak Gaber · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young child using a cane visits the beach in the book My Ocean Is Blue. We see the color of the waves and how the beach is rocky as she explores the sea. The images show how the ocean changes during the day based on the color of the sky and the speed of the waves. The images are vibrant and realistic, showing portions of the beach and lake. Young readers will find the text's superb writing and several lines that are repeated to be useful. Kids can identify the repetition, and some of the words may even start to be chanted by them.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, how I love the clear, strong words in this book! "My ocean splashes and crashes and echoes and squawks." and "My ocean is also vibrant pink, rusted orange, faded white, balanced gray, runaway red, and polished green. But mostly it's blue."

So much to love and discover here. The paper-cut illustrations are lovely. The science blends seamlessly with the story. Everyone can explore, just like our MC here.

[Amanda Sanders · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book describes the many ways the ocean changes and the different ways that we can see it. The illustrations of cut paper do a great job of telling a lot of the story. They are the best part of the book. I would have liked to have seen a correlation between the main character being handicapped and the way she views the ocean differently than others. The use of a handicapped main character seemed gratuitous.

[Morgan Drummond · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a girl who is at the ocean and learns all about it. She learns about all sorts of things the ocean does, can do, looks like, and how it is. The book is short and sweet but will teach the reader about the ocean. The pictures look to be done in watercolor and are full of bright vibrant colors. The pictures go with the text and are drawn very well. This book could be used to teach things about the ocean for like a unit on ocean life or water.

[Kaitlyn Rease · Rating 4 out of 5]

"My Ocean Is Blue" is a very short and simple picture book with vivid illustrations. But there's a beautiful hidden message. The star of this has CP but Lebeuf doesn't tell you blatantly. You have to figure it out with the hidden crutches that appear everso slightly over the pages. He's showing students that their disability does not have to take over their life. Rather, it's a normal part of life for her and didn't stop this little girl from doing anything she wanted to at the ocean!

[Laura Vultaggio · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful children’s book about a young girl’s day at the beach. The most beautiful part of the book is that the girl has forearm crutches in the images but her disability is never addressed and she is just able to be a little girl on the beach doing things that little girls do. As a mom to a child who had a very prominent disability for years, it makes me so happy to see a disabled child being portrayed just like any other kid.

[May Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is owned by my soon-to-be 10 year old niece and I surprisingly found it lying around in the living room. I find this is a good book to teach kids contrasting words and at the same time how each person’s perspectives vary on one thing like the ocean. The illustrations are lovely but I am not sure if toddlers like that kind of illustration. Regardless, it is still worth reading, especially with kids.

[Emily Carlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The girl from the cover, and her mother, spend the day at the ocean. The girl names and describes and sees so much at the oceanside. It would be a great book to read as a first ocean experience story. The illustrations are bright and differ in size from page to page, almost giving a sense of the size of whatever is in the picture. The character doesn't fit the typical narrative of someone at the ocean, and that makes it perfect.