The Last Sunset in the West: Britain’s Vanishing West Coast Orcas Two Worlds: Above and Below the Sea What a Shell Can Tell Where the Seals Sing The Little Guide to Shorelines Life Between the Tides: In Search of Rockpools and Other Adventures Along the Shore Life on the Rocks: Building a Future for Coral Reefs The Living Sea Sex in the Sea: Our Intimate Connection with Sex-Changing Fish, Romantic Lobsters, Kinky Squid, and Other Salty Erotica of the Deep Shapeshifters: The Wonderous World of Jellyfish Why do book collections matter? Book a consultation with a ~personal curator Contact Quick Links Follow us @ultimatelibrary Join our community
10 Books On Creatures Of The Sea
19 Apr 2023
The joy and power of reading is the spotlight once again this month, as we celebrate World Book Day. Building engaging children’s libraries for hotel kids’ clubs and private nurseries is a core part of what we do at Ultimate Library, with nature and sustainability continuing to be a focus for many of our clients. Our book experts have curated a list of ten books that are sure to captivate and educate children of all ages, providing them with a range of perspectives on the natural world. These titles are available to buy individually from our sister company, South Kensington Books via
Bookshop.org
. To discuss your own children’s library,
get in touch
with our book experts today.
Natalie Sanders
Britain’s west coast is home to only one pod of orca, and they’re heading rapidly towards extinction. In 2014, Dr Natalie Sanders joined the crew of the HV Silurian to seek out the West Coast Community of Orca and study them before we lose them forever. Her captivating account takes the reader from the Western Isles of Scotland to Vancouver Island and around the world, deep into the history of our relations with these beautiful and sentient creatures.
David Doubilet
The ocean covers more than 70% of our planet, and yet we rarely glimpse its depths – and especially its exquisite beauty as documented by pioneering underwater photographer David Doubilet. His first major book in two decades stunning selection of images from his 50-year career, spanning the Galapagos to the icy waters of the Antarctic Ocean, each uniting life above and below the water’s surface. This mesmerising body of work raises important questions about conservation and global warming, topics never far from the headlines.
Helen Scales
‘This wondrous compendium will enthrall beachcombers and landlubbers alike’ (
The New York Times
). Award-winning marine biologist Helen Scales introduces children to the wonders of shells (from seashells to land snails) through the art of observation. Using a friendly question-and-answer format, she explores, through a richly sensory experience, the incredible diversity of shells around the world and showcases the environments molluscs inhabit. This book encourages children and adults alike to get up close to nature and observe its wonders.
Susan Richardson
Susan Richardson has always been entranced by seals; they seem to have surfaced at key junctions throughout her life bringing her comfort and joy. Now she sets out to trace the rhythm of their lives, travelling the coasts clockwise from Cornwall to Norfolk, in line with the autumn pupping season. Brimming with vivid descriptions of the natural world, Where the Seals Sing is a lyrical tale of memory, rescue, and rehabilitation. While loss, both personal and ecological, is a recurring theme, the human-seal connection that flows through the story is stirring and uplifting.
Alison Davies
This informative, practical and beautiful guide to life between the tides is part of a new nature series designed to encourage creativity through exploring the outdoors. The forty entries in the book range from pebbles and shells to crabs and sea creatures. Each entry has been delicately illustrated by printmaker Tom Frost to capture its individual characteristics and is accompanied by associated facts and fables. There is also an interactive spotter’s guide at the back, where you can check off what you find.
Adam Nicholson
Few places are as familiar as the shore – and few as full of mystery and surprise. In
Life Between the Tides
, Adam Nicolson explores the natural wonders of the intertidal and our long human relationship with it. The physics of the seas, the biology of anemone and limpet, the long history of the earth, and the stories we tell of those who have lived here: all interconnect in this zone where the philosopher, scientist and poet can meet and find meaning. An eloquent tribute to the intertidal wonders of the sea, this is a lovingly written volume about the creatures beneath the waves.
Juli Berwald
Coral reefs are a microcosm of our planet: extraordinarily diverse, deeply interconnected, and full of wonders. When they’re thriving, these fairy gardens hidden beneath the ocean’s surface burst with colour and life. They sustain entire ecosystems and protect vulnerable coasts. But corals across the planet are in the middle of an unprecedented die-off.
Life on the Rocks
is an inspiring, lucid, meditative ode to the reefs and the undaunted scientists working to save them against almost impossible odds.
Hussain Aga Khan
Nicknamed “The Green Prince,” Hussain Aga Khan has dedicated his career to protecting and preserving marine life in all its forms. In recent years, he has cultivated a private photographic practice also centred on marine and wildlife protection. This volume gathers his photographs of the ocean depths and its inhabitants, taken over several years. The eloquent narrative formed by these extraordinary images serves to inspire conversations on the global impact that oceans have on science, as well as overarching issues of environmental destruction and the extinction of species in the face of the ongoing climate crisis.
Marah J. Hardt
As Richard Branson describes it, ‘
Sex in the Sea
is a highly entertaining, exhilarating book and a wonderfully fresh take on the amazing biodiversity beneath the waves.’ Part science, part erotica, the book delves into the mating rituals of armoured lobsters; giant right whales engaging in a lively threesome while holding their breath and daily mating blitzes by blue-headed wrasse. Beyond a deliciously voyeuristic excursion, it uniquely connects the timeless topic of sex with the timely issue of sustainable oceans.
Lisa-ann Gershwin
Jellyfish come in a dazzling array of colours, shapes, and sizes, drifting through every ocean, from the surface to the deepest of the deep seas, and are even found in freshwater locations. These ancient creatures, also called sea jellies (they are not, technically, fish), are so otherworldly and luminous that it is no wonder they are often compared to mythical shapeshifters. This visually breathtaking book showcases 100 species of jellyfish within its pages with astounding facts about these fascinating marine life forms.
We believe in the power of books to create a sense of place and new perspectives. Our bespoke book collections have a great impact on a guest’s overall experience of a hotel or resort. It’s small extras like books in rooms and library spaces that make a guest’s stay extra special, and many of our clients receive high praise for their book collections. For private clients they make a house their home.
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