Book Review: Wave Makers

Reviewed by Toni Woodruff

Bright & intelligent—a kids science book about caring for this big, mostly blue planet

The earth is made up of 71% water. Phytoplankton are tiny ocean superheroes who feed blue whales and help us breathe. Starfish vacuum the floor, and octopuses have 9 brains. If you and your kid want to dive deep into marine science, there’s no resource more vibrant and fun-fact-filled than Wave Makers.

The book is narrated by a young girl who is lucky enough to sit in class with Dr. Sylvia Earle—an oceanographer, scientist, and explorer. The young girl is so inspired by the appearance and influence of Dr. Earle that she ventures off to the beach to experience the magic of the ocean herself and to help however she can.

“I call individuals who help WAVE MAKERS.”

The ocean is full of fascinating, inspiring, and shocking creatures. But Gabrielle Raymond McGee makes some great decisions with the ones she includes in this book. The phytoplankton might seem like an elevated concept at the start—I mean, look at that word!—but the concept is easy to grasp thanks to McGee’s surefire & friendly prose. And it’s absolutely amazing what these little plants do. 

The octopus section is about as fun as it gets! There’s nothing quite as visual as this stretchy, agile, flexible creature. It also doesn’t hurt that they’re so incredibly smart. It’s an easy task to get your kid interested in marine life after reading and seeing these amazing animals.

I could see this book as a kids’ science resource in your library for years to come. If you’re homeschooling and your 4-7 year old is being drawn toward the water, you’d better get your hands on this book. There is a ton of great marine science knowledge packed into these 40 pages.

Each page gets the most of its space. This means that not only are there enough colors and illustrations to focus on, but there are also often multiple short paragraphs. Sometimes this can feel like too much and like the book could have been a quicker read than it ends up being.

Full of awesome and interesting marine science, Wave Makers would make a top-notch addition to classroom and homeschool libraries. Reading it through might take a while each time, but having this book around as a resource will inspire kids to pursue projects related to the ocean—whether it be taking care of it or (scuba)diving deep into the incredible world going on beneath us. 

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