Ever since we took B to the beach for the very first time, he has been fascinated by ocean life. Since we can't experience ocean life and sea creatures up close and in person all of the time, we make an effort to take some time out to learn about ocean life at home. We incorporate some educational programs like The Wild Kratts into our at home lessons, and also visit our local aquarium, so we can continue the fun and learning. Recently, we were given the opportunity to take a first look at a gorgeous picture book, Curious Critters Marine, by Photographer David FitzSimmons.

Introducing CURIOUS CRITTERS Marine! Following nine national book awards and over 100,000 copies sold of the volumes one and two, CURIOUS CRITTERS Marine features a spectacular spoonbill, a proud puffin, a rare blue lobster, and other stunning photos of Atlantic and Pacific Ocean sea life.

Our Thoughts...

Here's our copy of this gorgeous book.

When we received our copy of Curious Critters Marine, I couldn't wait to flip through it and become acquainted with some of the curious critters that were included. I love animals, and this beautiful book showcases some that I have never heard of before, and I knew that my curious 4-year-old would have questions for me! 

Curious Critters Marine offers full spreads of interesting marine life from birds and fish to various sea creatures.

B was very excited to see many of the creatures that he has learned about through a couple of children's shows which teach kiddos about sea life. The starfish is one of B's favorites, and the photo in Curious Critters Marine looked so life-like to him, that he half expected it to jump off the page.

Another favorite critter, the Loggerhead Sea Turtle. The sea turtle excited B a lot, because we had just seen a live sea turtle at the aquarium!

Take a look at this stunning spread from Curious Critters Marine, featuring the Atlantic Horseshoe Crab, and the American Lobster!

The photos in Curious Creatures Marine are just breathtaking! They are so vivid and colorful, capturing details you would never be able to see, looking at these creatures through a wall of glass. This book allows you to get up close and personal with these majestic creatures, without having to leave home. Each creature feature includes really neat information about the creatures. B and I have both been learning a lot from this book, and we're making a list of creatures that we want to look for on our next couple of trips to the ocean, which will be coming up soon!

David FitzSimmons is an award-winning free-lance photographer and writer. David

photographs and writes for various magazines, including Outdoor Photographer,

Popular Photography, Professional Photographer, and Shutterbug. His 100+

calendar credits include numerous titles by BrownTrout, Barnes & Noble, and TF

Publishing. David’s most recent publications include Animals of Ohio’s Ponds and

Vernal Pools, Curious Critters, and Curious Critter Volume Two, which have won

nine national book awards and sold over 100,000 copies, as well as audiobooks for

both Curious Critters titles. Curious Critters Marine will be released April 2015 and

will feature animals of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Salamander Dance, a

picture book exploring the annual life cycle of vernal pools, will be released Spring

2016.

One of seven Sigma Pro photographers in North America, David presents seminars

and workshops to a wide variety of audiences, from public school, college, and

university classes to photography groups and civic organizations. His works have

been exhibited at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute, the National Center for

Nature Photography, and the Telluride Photo Festival.

Before becoming a freelance photographer and author, David taught for over

twenty years—first high school English and then as a university professor, having

instructed at Cornell University, Ohio State, and Ashland University. He holds a

Ph.D. in English from Ohio State University, with a specialty in narrative theory—

investigating the components of storytelling—something that influences his

photography and writing.

To see more of David’s work and to know more about seminars and photo

workshops, visit www.fitzsimmonsphotography.com.

Want it? Get it!

To learn more about David’s award-winning picture book, Curious Critters, visit

www.curious-critters.com. You can also connect with Curious Critters on Facebook.

Special thanks to David FitzSimmons for allowing us to review and share about his gorgeous book.