Swim With The Best: Top 6 Fish-Themed Picture Books

Dive into the world of fish with these top fish-themed picture books. With colorful illustrations and engaging stories, these books will capture your child’s imagination and spark their love for marine life. Get ready to swim with the best!

The Fish With the Deep Sea Smile by Margaret Wise Brown and Illustrated by Henry Fisher

Join The Fish With the Deep Sea Smile as it swims all across the sea and evades a family on a fishing expedition. Written by Margaret Wise Brown, author of Good Night Moon, this book contains fun rhymes and bright, colorful illustrations. This book is a favorite in my household, and we love reading about such a clever fish.

The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister

A modern day classic. Rainbow Fish has spectacular iridescent scales, unlike any other fish in the sea. Proud of his unique beauty, Rainbow Fish refuses to share his special scales. Rainbow Fish sadly notices how lonely he feels when the other fish choose not to play with him. Will Rainbow Fish choose to share his scales to make friends? Read this eye-catching book to find out.

Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle

Mister Seahorse is a wonderful tale of a father seahorse who takes care of his baby seahorses before they hatch. While he waits patiently to see his babies born, he encounters other male fish enduring the same journey.

Eric Carle introduces the youngest readers to the important role males of some fish species play in protecting their young. A joyful book celebrating fathers!

Love, love, love, Eric Carle’s illustrations!!! The cover alone is a joyful collage of sea-inspired colors that I find inviting! The rest of the book does not disapoint! Interspersed throughout the book are gorgeous clear overlays creating impressive seascapes.

Where Is Little Fish? by Lucy Cousins

There are a few books that I end up buying multiple copies of because they are so loved in my home. Where Is Little Fish? is one of them. My children LOVE lifting the flaps looking for Little Fish. We enjoy interacting with the text playing a peek-a-boo game of sorts.

1 Year +.

Swimmy by Leo Lionni

After Swimmy’s school of fish is gobbled up by a tuna fish, Swimmy explores the sea and meets many sea creatures. When Swimmy happens upon a school of fish that reminds him of his home, Swimmy invites them to play and helps them overcome their fear of big fish.

Readers will delight in Leo Lionni’s serene artwork. Enjoy the soothing earth tones that grace the pages as you read the book. The illustrations are outstanding (the title is a 1964 Caldecott Honor recipient). If you are reading this book with a child or children, invite them to hypothesize what mediums Lionni used to create his art.

Ages 4+

Narwhal: Unicorn of the Sea by Ben Clanton

The Narwhal and Jellyfish series (this is the first) is one of my go-to recommendations for emergent readers. The graphic novel-style picture book is full of engaging cartoonish illustrations. A great story about friendship, and readers will learn fun facts about narwhals and jellyfish. I previously wrote about this title here. 

Fishies

It is so much fun to read about sea creatures! Watch one of my family’s favorite fish songs to make storytime extra special. We are big fans of Laurie Berkner and love “The Goldfish” song.

Happy Reading!

XO, Sheryl