Diary of a Marine Biologist
by Anita Thomas, Sarah Wilkins (Illustrator)

We follow Emma, a marine biologist, through her week studying whales, nurturing clownfish babies in a nursery, diving in the ocean with giant cuttlefish, looking for sea snakes, and checking on the progress of a new oyster reef. She finishes up her week surfing with a friend.

I loved this interesting book! We get to see the different types of work that a marine biologist might do and different projects they can be involved in. This book would be great for ages 7-10 to inspire them to get involved in marine biology.

I especially loved the section about the whales. The scientists record the patterns of “callosities” on the Right Whales, which are like white growths that stick out in patches on their skin. Their patterns are all different, and I loved learning about these beautiful creatures.

I had to skip the section about sea snakes though, because I am scared of snakes. But all the other sections are fascinating! The clownfish babies are so cute, and the cuttlefish are super weird-looking. I had no idea that even oysters could be so interesting!

I really liked the beautiful illustrations, and how the information is organized around the artwork to show you exactly what sea creatures are being studied. Every page is so colorful! There is a glossary at the back so that you can look up the meanings of some of the scientific words.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher to review.