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Water World
Life on Earth is shaped by water, and only survives here because of it, but our ocean ecosystems are at the epicentre of global warming. Framed by the need to protect our oceans, Water World is natural-history illustrator Ben Rothery's rich exploration of the creatures from the coastal and offshore waters of the world - from penguins, seagulls, polar bears and seahorses, to plankton, sharks and deep-sea beings.
Discover the longest migration and the loudest animal on Earth, and learn how our own actions affect the ocean, its inhabitants and our whole planet.
Fun to read together or independently, this large-format, beautifully illustrated book is perfect for nature-lovers of all ages.
Discover the longest migration and the loudest animal on Earth, and learn how our own actions affect the ocean, its inhabitants and our whole planet.
Fun to read together or independently, this large-format, beautifully illustrated book is perfect for nature-lovers of all ages.
80 pages, ebook
Published February 4, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 19, 2021
Ocean Planet: Animals of the Sea and Shore by Ben Rothery explores ocean life. Pacific walrus, king penguin, narwhal, great white shark, squid, seahorse, moray eel, humpback whale, manta ray, orca, and many more are rendered in great detail on the pages of the book. It includes shore dwellers who depend on the sea: Polar bears and otters of course, but also ring-tailed lemurs, Bengal tigers, and British Columbia wolves. It also explores extreme ocean environments: Tropical reefs and polar seas, islands and open oceans, surface waters and the ocean abyss, kelp forests and mangroves.
Ocean Planet is a visually fascinating book that had me looking closer at many images to be certain they were not photographs. The illustrations are highly detailed and of wonderful quality. The artistry, skill, and attention to detail is evident on every single page, regardless of the general size or popularity of the subject. It is well structured and organized, helping to make the book engaging and accessible to readers. I liked the information that was given about the included subjects, and the clear message that the ocean and it's health is key to our planet. I think this book is wonderful for library, school, and personal collections. Nature and animal lovers will want a copy, and artists and art lovers might want a copy to study and enjoy as well.
Ocean Planet is a visually fascinating book that had me looking closer at many images to be certain they were not photographs. The illustrations are highly detailed and of wonderful quality. The artistry, skill, and attention to detail is evident on every single page, regardless of the general size or popularity of the subject. It is well structured and organized, helping to make the book engaging and accessible to readers. I liked the information that was given about the included subjects, and the clear message that the ocean and it's health is key to our planet. I think this book is wonderful for library, school, and personal collections. Nature and animal lovers will want a copy, and artists and art lovers might want a copy to study and enjoy as well.
January 28, 2021
All I can say is "Wow!" This large-format (38cm) book will appeal to primary school ages to adult. The illustrations are exquisite, paired with information that ranges from just a label giving the name of the animal to multiple paragraphs on a page. Many illustrations take up a whole page.
This is a must for every school and public library and would make a sensational gift for the animal-and-fact-loving child in your life.
Animals include the bengal tiger (lives in mangroves if you want to know the connection to "water"), wulrus, penguin, blue-footed booby, puffin and many other birds, lots of sharks, deep-sea creatures, and many many more.
This is a must for every school and public library and would make a sensational gift for the animal-and-fact-loving child in your life.
Animals include the bengal tiger (lives in mangroves if you want to know the connection to "water"), wulrus, penguin, blue-footed booby, puffin and many other birds, lots of sharks, deep-sea creatures, and many many more.
November 26, 2021
What worked:
The book presents fascinating creatures that live in or around oceans from across the planet. They range from microscopic organisms to gigantic whales and sharks, and the chapters organize them by species, habitat, and the unusual. Oceans are separated by climate, as animals living around tropical, temperate, and frozen lands vary greatly. There’s a huge difference between living things found at the bottom of the ocean, those near the surface, and those found along shorelines.
The illustrations are colorful and spectacular! A world map and an ocean diagram help readers understand climate zones and ocean habitats, the locations millions of creatures call home. The book is a full fifteen inches tall, so the vibrant pictures of swimming, flying, and crawling creatures are eye-catching and detailed. The realistic illustrations enable readers to note specific characteristics of the flamboyant cuttlefish, the yellow seahorse, and the dragon moray eel.
The book is not meant to have all the information possible about all of the animals living near the oceans. It will make a wonderful introduction for readers interested in learning about things living in these parts of the planet. Each chapter presents some general information and then shares paragraphs and pictures with interesting facts regarding specific familiar and obscure species of animals. There are pilot fish living near blue sharks in the open oceans, deep-sea angler fish located near the bottoms, and sea otters found in kelp forests along the earth’s coastlines.
What didn’t work as well:
There are some science words used in the text that are not defined. Young readers might need to have definitions included in the sentences or available in a glossary. For example, the terms estuaries and cold-blooded are used when describing saltwater crocodiles. Many adults might not know the definition for estuaries, while most young readers might have an idea of the meaning for cold-blooded. However, cold-blooded is a very important term when describing sea creatures, so providing a clear meaning is equally important. In general, the author effectively provides meanings and context clues for most terms, so this issue isn’t a major drawback.
The Final Verdict:
A big, beautiful book to mesmerize young readers. The skillfully crafted, colorful illustrations provide interest and entertainment, while the text full of fascinating information isn’t overwhelming. This book is highly recommended for lovers of sea life and nature, both young and old.
The book presents fascinating creatures that live in or around oceans from across the planet. They range from microscopic organisms to gigantic whales and sharks, and the chapters organize them by species, habitat, and the unusual. Oceans are separated by climate, as animals living around tropical, temperate, and frozen lands vary greatly. There’s a huge difference between living things found at the bottom of the ocean, those near the surface, and those found along shorelines.
The illustrations are colorful and spectacular! A world map and an ocean diagram help readers understand climate zones and ocean habitats, the locations millions of creatures call home. The book is a full fifteen inches tall, so the vibrant pictures of swimming, flying, and crawling creatures are eye-catching and detailed. The realistic illustrations enable readers to note specific characteristics of the flamboyant cuttlefish, the yellow seahorse, and the dragon moray eel.
The book is not meant to have all the information possible about all of the animals living near the oceans. It will make a wonderful introduction for readers interested in learning about things living in these parts of the planet. Each chapter presents some general information and then shares paragraphs and pictures with interesting facts regarding specific familiar and obscure species of animals. There are pilot fish living near blue sharks in the open oceans, deep-sea angler fish located near the bottoms, and sea otters found in kelp forests along the earth’s coastlines.
What didn’t work as well:
There are some science words used in the text that are not defined. Young readers might need to have definitions included in the sentences or available in a glossary. For example, the terms estuaries and cold-blooded are used when describing saltwater crocodiles. Many adults might not know the definition for estuaries, while most young readers might have an idea of the meaning for cold-blooded. However, cold-blooded is a very important term when describing sea creatures, so providing a clear meaning is equally important. In general, the author effectively provides meanings and context clues for most terms, so this issue isn’t a major drawback.
The Final Verdict:
A big, beautiful book to mesmerize young readers. The skillfully crafted, colorful illustrations provide interest and entertainment, while the text full of fascinating information isn’t overwhelming. This book is highly recommended for lovers of sea life and nature, both young and old.
March 10, 2022
Having enjoyed the exquisite artwork in this author/illustrator's previous two nature-themed books, Secrets of the Animal Kingdom and Sensational Butterflies, I was eager to peruse this one. I was not disappointed as Ben Rothery seems to be truly in his element as he highlights creatures that live in the sea and along coastlines. While the organization of the book might be confusing unless readers look at the table of contents, the pages that follow will mesmerize anyone who cares about the natural world. With engaging, informative text takes readers into the various ocean zones and out into its depths where they meet a deep-sea anglerfish and great white shark, depicted on double-page spreads for visual impact. There are birds and mammals described here, and readers will feel as though they are almost face to face with many of these living things due to the intricacy and carefulness of the drawings. A Bengal tiger's impressive profile ignores all buts its prey while a British Columbia wolf faces readers head-on. A massive polar bear roars, and a majestic Pacific walrus looks out to sea. The colors, lines, and texture of each of these animals and others are simply breathtaking, reminding readers that humans may not be so supreme after all. In each case, the scientific names for all of these animals have been provided as well as information about their size and habitat. Like the illustrator's other books, the attention to detail and love for the planet and its inhabitants show in every single image. It's clear that he relies on pencils as well as other image processing for these amazing, museum-worthy illustrations, and readers won't mind the text because of their attractiveness. Perfect for anyone with a smidgeon of interest in science, this oversized book needs to be in science classroom libraries or on display for the class members to examine. Even the cover with its yellow-gold seahorse against a dark blue background and the endpapers featuring a school of fish grouped together as they flee from a swordfish are worth a second look.
November 23, 2021
This beautiful book is a survey of selected creatures that live in and around earth’s oceans, along with a description of their habitats. Information is presented clearly and with stunning portraits of the animals. There’s a map of climate zones and a very useful diagram of the different depth zones, from intertidal to seabed. The author has chosen diverse and fascinating animals that are depicted in hyper-realistic drawings that at first seem like photographs. There’s the epaulette shark, which can walk on land, the deep-sea anglerfish which lures prey with a lump of glowing flesh attached to a rod protruding from its forehead; fish that can fly, microscopic plankton and giant whales. Dramatic full bleed spreads showcase details beautifully, such as the mauve stinger jellyfish, with diaphanous tentacles glowing luminously in the black of the deep sea.
I appreciate Rothery’s matter of fact comments on the effects of global warming and over-fishing on ocean species, especially in coral reefs. He gives the animals such majesty and detail that it’s painful to think that humans could cause their demise. It’s hard to over emphasize how minutely rendered the details on the animals are. The Bengal tiger, which has adapted to life in the coastal habitat of Bangladesh’s mangrove forest, seems like a studio close-up. His gleaming eye, scraggly whiskers and arresting stripes are beyond beautiful.
The book has an index, and there’s a nice author bio at the end with a portrait of him at work, bending low over his work. An array of his drawing utensils shows the sharpest pencils I have ever seen.
I appreciate Rothery’s matter of fact comments on the effects of global warming and over-fishing on ocean species, especially in coral reefs. He gives the animals such majesty and detail that it’s painful to think that humans could cause their demise. It’s hard to over emphasize how minutely rendered the details on the animals are. The Bengal tiger, which has adapted to life in the coastal habitat of Bangladesh’s mangrove forest, seems like a studio close-up. His gleaming eye, scraggly whiskers and arresting stripes are beyond beautiful.
The book has an index, and there’s a nice author bio at the end with a portrait of him at work, bending low over his work. An array of his drawing utensils shows the sharpest pencils I have ever seen.
July 31, 2022
First published in the U.K. in 2019, this is the first U.S. edition.
This beautiful oversize book shows and describes some unusual and interesting animals found on our planet. The book is arranged by 10 areas that these animals are found, ex. Open Ocean, Island, Temperate Seas, Weird and Wonderful. Backmatter includes a letter from the author/illustrator and index to the book.
Rothery is a master of detail. These photo-real illustrations are stunning, drawing the eye to look at each exquisite detail of each close-up, often magnified, creature. (The seahorse on the cover is a great example.). Readers will swear they are looking at photographs, but I reiterate: they are not photos; they are hand-drawn illustrations.
Share this amazing work widely - with all ages.
Highly Recommended for PreSchool-grade 8.
This beautiful oversize book shows and describes some unusual and interesting animals found on our planet. The book is arranged by 10 areas that these animals are found, ex. Open Ocean, Island, Temperate Seas, Weird and Wonderful. Backmatter includes a letter from the author/illustrator and index to the book.
Rothery is a master of detail. These photo-real illustrations are stunning, drawing the eye to look at each exquisite detail of each close-up, often magnified, creature. (The seahorse on the cover is a great example.). Readers will swear they are looking at photographs, but I reiterate: they are not photos; they are hand-drawn illustrations.
Share this amazing work widely - with all ages.
Highly Recommended for PreSchool-grade 8.
October 23, 2021
What a fantastic enrichment book! Broadly divided by themes (region, animal family, record-breakers, etc.) this is a fascinating exploration of the wondrous diversity of life in and around our oceans. There is also a very interesting section about the oceans themselves that adds context to the animal articles.
The photos featured are breathtaking! They're wonderfully detailed and really showcase the amazing variety of life and how it adapts to any far-flung environment. This will definitely hold the attention of elementary and middle school students and would be a great addition to school and classroom libraries.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!
The photos featured are breathtaking! They're wonderfully detailed and really showcase the amazing variety of life and how it adapts to any far-flung environment. This will definitely hold the attention of elementary and middle school students and would be a great addition to school and classroom libraries.
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!
November 4, 2021
“The oceans are the Earth’s last great wilderness, and we must take urgent steps to protect them.
Our water world is under threat like never before. It is changing faster than at any time in human history.
But there is still hope. Fortunately, the ocean is immense, and its sheer size offers a way for it to recover, given time and with our help.”
Ben Rothery presents Water World, a gorgeous 11” by 15” hardback book with lavish, detailed art and readable texts about the creatures and ecosystems under water. It has brought so much reality to my research on the oceans’ role in climate change.
This is a book for both the collector as well as our many young marine creature-loving readers!
📚: @times.reads (Times Distribution)
Our water world is under threat like never before. It is changing faster than at any time in human history.
But there is still hope. Fortunately, the ocean is immense, and its sheer size offers a way for it to recover, given time and with our help.”
Ben Rothery presents Water World, a gorgeous 11” by 15” hardback book with lavish, detailed art and readable texts about the creatures and ecosystems under water. It has brought so much reality to my research on the oceans’ role in climate change.
This is a book for both the collector as well as our many young marine creature-loving readers!
📚: @times.reads (Times Distribution)
October 31, 2021
Received as a review copy from NetGalley, this is an honest review. While this is a quick read about the complex ecosystem that make up the Earth's oceans; the author unpacks a great deal of knowledge about the sharks, reefs, fishes and all of the animals that live within the many layers of the sea; and accompanied with colorful pictures that helps any reader understand the scientific knowledge. It is a well written book although reading it on the Kindle app, parts of the work the words faded from the page despite the strong font set up to read the book. Highly recommended.
April 24, 2026
Lovely photos with just a bit of information about what is being shown. Interesting facts that may not be commonly known. While I appreciate the effort to depict, by color, the ocean depth with the photos, it does make for more difficult reading.
It is a lovely book for the armchair traveler or someone wanting to dip their toe in and then take off on interests the photos spark.
It is a lovely book for the armchair traveler or someone wanting to dip their toe in and then take off on interests the photos spark.
February 4, 2021
He’s done it again! Another absolutely stunning book from Ben Rothery. Ben’s books are a treasure for their illustrations alone but the wonderful information included will pique any ones interest in the beautiful animals included.
February 27, 2021
Another magnificent combination of outstanding illustrations and interesting text. The number of times I exclaimed audibly while reading through this book had my husband grab the book immediately that I was finished.
Want to Read
October 28, 2021Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
January 15, 2022
Rothery's illustrations are simply gorgeous and so detailed that many look like photographs, but with a clarity that can only come from a drawing.
June 26, 2022
Gorgeous book and a worthy addition to the series - oversized book. Recommended.
August 27, 2023
Originally published in the UK.
March 1, 2024
Amazing art and good animal facts.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews