The Octonauts & the Sea of Shade

We love these books. My boys (3 & 5) find the original books to be more engaging than the ones based off the television series (which we also love.) The whimsy of these books, the beautiful artwork, the detail on the pages, all completely entrances them. Great books.

This book is more fantasy than some of the octonauts books, it doesn't have any real sea creatures to learn about, but the story is great. The octonauts go on an epic adventure to meet the shade king and learn to appreciate shadows instead of fear them. Great for a 3 year old.

My 3.5 year old son loves this book. He and I are huge fans of the TV show, and this book (which predates the show) features all of the same characters (although Dashi is called Sauci) and artwork. This is a book about a tale in which I don't think there's a tv episode based on it, which is new and fun for him. The main difference I want to note is that this book's tale is one of fantasy instead of being reality-based and scientific like the show is. This one is about shadows "doing their own thing". Nonetheless, because my son loves the show and all the detailed characters, he loved exploring this new take with awesome artwork and funny little differences about the characters he loves and knows so well.

This is an engaging undersea adventure for young and old. The illustrations are fantastic. The story is fun and educational. We are fans of the Octonauts.

My son is a big Octonauts fan, so I bought three of the original books for him. He loves them all and looks at them all the time. The illustrations are very detailed and beautifully made. The books are hard-cover, sturdy and they have a great format. The only thing that I would like to point out is that the original stories are more fictional and they aren't scientifically correct, like the TV series where each show focuses on a specific living sea animal and its habits. Of course, this isn't a bad thing at all, but it might be a little surprising for someone expecting an Octonauts story as seen on TV.

We discovered the Octonauts by accident on FiOS channel and my daughter absolutely loves these guys. Compared to the violence and constantly inappropriate content that is thrown at kids today the Octonauts is like a breath of fresh family fun that is both entertaining and somewhat educational. Adding the books for a budding reader was a no brainer! I highly recommend these though they are not inexpensive they are worth the investment for a child you care about.

I bought this series for my son, age 3, and we love it. Each book is illustrated in a brilliant style that engages conversation and exploration. Each story is an adventure that challenges and inspires young minds. These books are a must for every child's collection of reading materials and are sure to withstand the test of time.

My 2.5 year old daughter LOVES the Octonauts TV show on Disney Jr. She has most of the toys, has seen most of the episodes, and she loves playing Octonauts we me or in the bath tub using some of her toys. The shows are based on the books but there are some significant differences. Kwazi on the show is Kwazi Kitten in the book, Dashi is Dashi Dog, etc... The book is geared for kids maybe 3+ years old. My daughter's language is pretty advanced for her age but the book is still a little complex for her though she can still follow the general story. The book is also quite large and hard for little kids to hold and turn the paper pages without tearing them once in a while. Bottom line is, if you like the show, you'll like the book well enough though it's best for kids at least 3+. This particular story, the Sea of Shade, is also no my favorite, I find it to be a bit dark and sad for a kids book though it has an okay message. I'd buy it again just to have it in my daughter collection of Octonauts stuff and because reading is better for kids than watching TV.

Das Buch ist wundervoll. Mein Sohn liebt die Octonauten - und zwar schon bevor es die Filme gab. Die Taschenbücher sind leider total labberig und nicht für Kinderhände geeignet. Es lohnt sich viel mehr die schöne, gebundene Ausgabe zu kaufen.

Good book

Good for kids

Come anche La Grande Barriera Corallina Infestata, questa avventura degli Octonauti è diventata una delle preferite della mia bimba che ha quasi 3 anni: raccontata con semplicità e con una giusta intonazione la appassiona tantissimo, ed ho scoperto che è anche una ottima storia della buonanotte. Si può sfogliare infatti abbastanza velocemente "riassumendo" la storia, sia "tirarla per le lunghe" aggiungendo qualche battuta dei personaggi. Soffermandosi sulle illustrazioni, molto dettagliate, si scopre sempre qualcosa di nuovo che attira la sua attenzione (un'ombra che fa capolino da un angolo, degli scoiattolini sugli alberi...) ed è come se fosse ogni volta una storia nuova. Ci sono alcune immagini un po' scure in quest'avventura, che possono far paura ai più piccini, ma basta spiegarlo con serenità ai bimbi e contestualizzarle: le ombre infatti sono amiche e non bisogna temerle! Anche la storia ci è piaciuta molto: le ombre vengono misconosciute e maltrattate e decidono di tornare nel Mare delle Ombre dove il loro Re le vuole proteggere. Gli Octonauti vogliono capire perché son sparite, le vanno a cercare e fanno amicizia, fan capire loro che sono molto importanti e utili a tutti (come si suderebbe sotto il solleone! e le meridiane come funzionerebbero? i ninja dove si nasconderebbero? i poveri funghi si seccherebbero senza ripari ombrosi!)e si impegnano a diventare Ambasciatori delle Ombre per far comprendere a tutti che anche loro vogliono essere amate, e non temute. Davvero dolce... l'immagine preferita di mia figlia è la coniglietta Tweak che gioca e abbraccia la sua ombra.

The tv series is only loosely based on the characters in this and some other books. There are of course lots of spin-off books from the tv series, but in my opinion the original titles are much more interesting. They won't give your child the education about marine biology the get from the tv Octonauts, but a surreal journey for the imagination and fabulous illustrations.