Living through a pandemic teaches us many things, like how much people love toilet paper and how little that much toilet paper is actually needed. It also encourages us to enjoy the things we might have breezed over pre-pandemic. We've been given the gift of time by staying at home, and time together with loved ones is more than anyone could have hoped for through all of the uncertainties.
In our family, surfing, reading and music have filled our tiny social bubble. Surfing, alongside swimming and fishing, are one of the few ocean activities still allowed on Oahu following recent beach and park closures. Reading, on the other hand, has sort of become an obsession. We've been building up our book quiver and always carve out time for reading after beach trips. Then, there's music. Our poor neighbors! They've endured hours of ridiculous quarantine karaoke sessions and dance parties. Not to mention, Noah is a musician, so when he whips out his guitar, it's a good hour of daddy-daughter duets.
Thing's got even more fun for our neighbors, (but especially for us!) when we got a singalong book called "The Ocean, Sea and Me." It came all the way from Australia! The children's book fit right into our family, brilliantly blending literature with music. We scanned the QR code and sang along to a fun jingle about sea creatures and surfers. Author Cara Whyte's beautiful voice easily gets little readers turning the page, as they learn more about the ways of the ocean. By the third page, our daughter is usually on her feet and dancing. She gets so excited whenever we pull this book off of the shelf.
The illustrations, by Ann Nguyen, color each page and are as catchy as the singalong tune itself. They're simple enough for a kid to appreciate but upon closer look, detailed enough to really convey the ocean's wonderful details. The surfing illustrations are also impressively accurate. So much so, that our daughter has started pointing at surfers in the book, while shouting, "That's Mommy" and "That's ME!"
This book has also been stuffed in our beach bag, next to the boards and the beach things. It might even have a few grains of sand wedged along its spine. Reading it to our daughter has been a great way to pass the time in the shade, while doing the Mommy-Daddy surf swap.
It's a book that truly brings joy and laughter, and all of the good feels–not only into our household but also onto the beach. In times like these, when so much is unknown, a book like "The Ocean, Sea and Me" is what we all really need; it's an essential item to which no roll of pandemic-purchased toilet paper could ever surmount.
The Ocean Sea and Me // Children's book filled with colorful illustrations and a catchy ocean song when the QR code is scanned // caraandann.com
READ MORE: BOOK QUIVER - Be brave with "Queenie Wahine" and "Little Millie" // BOOK QUIVER - "Mop Rides the Waves of Life" // Baby on board
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