Dive Deep into the Blue

Darren Lebeuf and Ashley Barron have collaborated again in this follow up to My Forest is Green from spring 2019 to bring us My Ocean is Blue.  This book reads like an ode to the ocean with the narrator describing their ocean: how it looks, sounds, smells, and feels. Also, reminding us that the ocean is vast and ever changing, never the same one day to the next.  My Ocean is Blue is an excellent choice for your early years reader to begin the conversation about description. It’s fantastic as it lends itself so perfectly into a conversation about how the reader would describe the ocean and to make connections to times when they have visited the beach.

I applaud the decision by the whole team from author Darren Lebeuf to illustration Ashley Barron and designer Julia Naimska to have the narrator illustrated as a child who uses crutches for mobility.  Including that simple element into the illustrations creates visibility to a segment of our population that is terribly unrepresented in picture books. Thanks to the whole team, I am hopeful we will see more representation like this in more and more picture books.  I also appreciate when these important choices are made in stories that are not solely focused on differing abilities. In order to ensure all children feel seen in the picture books we read we need to include characters like the narrator in My Ocean is Blue in everyday situations, like visiting the beach.  Ashley Barron’s art is so beautiful with the mix of textures in her paper cut illustrations collaged together with watercolour, acrylic and pencil crayon. You could enjoy your own art exploration after reading, trying to mimic Ashley’s style. A perfect book to start to feel those warm up vibes.