The Adventures of Blue Ocean Bob: A Secret in the Deep

by Brooks Olbrys

2023 Next Generation Indie Book Award Winner for Best Overall Design (Fiction) Discover a secret in the deep with Blue Ocean Bob as he helps some new friends in the Sea of Kerchoo While snorkeling along the ocean reef, Bob senses something in the deep below. With encouragement from Cathy the crab, he trusts his intuition and assembles a team to explore a shipwreck on the ocean floor. But despite help from Al the dolphin and Molly Marine, Bob is unable to complete the descent. With Doc the turtle, Earl the clam, and Eve the octopus all weighing in, Mary Marine is called back to the Island of Roses to complete the dive team’s training. Thanks to a creative plan devised by Molly Marine and the cooperation of some jellyfish and octopus assistants, Bob and his dive team perform an unusual deep-water rescue of their new friends trapped at the bottom of the Sea of Kerchoo. The Adventures of Blue Ocean A Secret in the Deep is the fourth installment in this colorful and inspiring early chapter book series that introduces young readers to timeless principles of achievement.

Genres: Childrens

56 pages, Hardcover

Published May 16, 2023

Reviews

[April]

This is a really cute book. This could be read for enjoyment, or it could be coupled with various lessons/subjects. Firstly, each line ends in rhyme. This could be good for teaching young children about rhyming and listening for ending sounds (rime and phonemes). It could also be used to teach older children about methods of storytelling (historically) and types of poetry (rhyming couplets, sonnets, limericks, etc). It could also be used to discuss environmentalism, pollution, or to introduce ocean creatures.

The artwork is also really cute. While bot anatomically correct, I thought the octopus illustrations were clever. I believe it's called a mantle? The elongated part of an octopus's head...the illustrator turned them into large noses. So cute.

Also, the map printed in the front and back of the book is nice. (It reminded me of peter pan.) I liked it as a simple, introductory map. If your child is learning land and water formations, especially the Montessori method, this map will complement that well. It also has a large compass rose on it.

As a homeschooling parent, I really enjoy that this book has so many potentials educationally and has a cute story with creative illustrations to get keep my daughter interested.

The layout of the book is a cross between a storybook and an early chapter book. So it would work well for kids reading on their own, or early readers and small children being read to by an adult.

[Theediscerning]

Well, kudos to the creators for giving themselves the task of such a sustained rhyming narrative, but unfortunately my file was half-there when I finally got to look at it, and so the last few pp of visuals and the actual reveal about what the purpose of it all was, was lost to me. It starts out with a kid seeing a glow coming from a shipwreck, but it's too deep for him to swim down to – not even the sea creatures he talks to (hmmm…) can find the truth of it all, until he is trained for the dive. So yes, this is something about teamwork and joint responsibility, something about the drama of what is in the wreck – and something touching on learning all the skills about something so niche and yet so potentially life-saving as SCUBA diving. And there aren't many books you can say that about – but this is no classic. I mean it's fine – it looks pretty without being too cute, it certainly has a mystery – to repeat, one that eludes me – and it obviously has a lesson of some fashion. But is what I saw of it entertaining, diverting and engaging enough to make people glad of that lesson? Probably not, and so four stars seem just far too generous a grade. But it's better than three, in being something worth the look, for sure.

[Ev]

3.75☆

Before I get into my review, I wanted to mention that I am an aspiring marine biologist and am quite knowledgeable on scuba diving and animal behavior as a result.

Now for my review:

I am quite pleased that this book did not illustrate sharks in a bad light. Jaws demonized them and as someone wbo had swam with many sharks, they arent the evil beings they are made out to be.

Additionally, I know Bob does in this book, but PLEASEEEE do not EVER scuba dive alone unless you are highly skilled and trained to do so (very few scuba divers are). It is VERY dangerous. The 2nd rule in scuba diving is never dive without a buddy because of how important having one is. If something goes wrong with your kit, then you have a back-up/someone who can help you get back to the surface.

But overall, i think this was a charming book and I really enjoyed the adventures Bob and his friends got up to.

[Rae]

This children's book had cute aquatic illustrations, a fun rhyming style of writing, and common lessons to be shared. The book included concepts such as teamwork, training, problem-solving, helping others, and working toward a goal.

I gifted this book to my sister-in-law for her daughter, my niece, who's currently 2 years old. While she's still a bit young for the lessons of this book, it was fun to see her examine the pages while listening to the story being told. Her family lives in the US Midwest, so it's an exciting introduction to the ocean, sealife, and water activities.

Thank you to publisher Brooks for gifting an ARC in exchange for this review.

[Corey]

I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway win. It is a cute children's book. Bob embarks on his adventure only after being able to overcome his fears. The story shows the reader what they can accomplish if they do not let their own fears stop them. Bob is able to move beyond his fears, solve a problem and make new friends along the way. I think this book would be a good read for a child learning when to look at a situation to decide when they should follow their gut feeling and when they should listen to their fear and not proceed.

[Laura]

This is a brilliant book about teaching children about the ocean and how learning to dive can be a great expe9riencee. I loved how there were lots of rhythming words and phrases used to keep my little boy interested in reading and the illustrations were magnificent.