LEGO 31088: Shark, Whale and Squid

This was the first Lego set that I bought for Tobin (my youngest). All the other kids were in school and he would come home from 4-year-old kinder and want me to find the pieces so he could build every Lego set that we had instruction for. It was weeks and weeks of sitting on the playroom floor sifting through tubs in search of pieces that might have been lost years ago.

I eventually came to realisation that he (or maybe I) needed a set that contained all the pieces and that he could break down and re-build into other things. So we went one day and he chose this from the shop. Now all the pieces from this set have vanished into the depths of a tub, but for a few weeks, he had one complete Lego set.

At this price point adding a book to this Lego set would make a wonderful, affordable gift for a friend.

For a kid who is super into sharks, whales, and underwater creatures, there are plenty of non-fiction book options. We’ve had a few through the local library which satisfied a short-lived interest from Toby. But if you’re child’s interest is verging on obsession, here are several you might like to consider:

Australia’s Amazing Sharks, Australian Geographic

Smart About Sharks, Owen Davey

Owen Davey’s illustrations are exquisite, engaging and different. I’d love to have his whole set.

See Inside Oceans, Usborne

Usborne does a wonderful job of making non-fiction interactive and interesting. By breaking down information into smaller, digestible chunks, kids can go in and out of the book, finishing when they’ve got what they needed, coming back when they’re ready for more. Fantastic for a home library, this would suit a curious 4-year-old with a kind grown-up to read it aloud, but also a 9-year-old who can peruse it at their own pace.

Sharks: Ultimate Sticker Book, DK

But if picture books are what you’re after here are some options that would pair brilliantly with the Lego set.

Shark in the Park, by Nick Sharratt

The first in a series, the rhyming picture book will entertain young children and bring laughter to storytime. Timothy Pope has a brand new telescope and is amazed and confused by what he sees through it. Could there really be a shark in the park?

The Whale Who Wanted More, by Rachel Bright and Jim Field

The fifth in Rachel Bright and Jim Field’s terrific series, this perfectly rhyming tale of Humphrey the whale is just what this generation needs. In a world of excess, it can be difficult to discern what is truly valuable and worth holding on to. The kindly delivered moral to this story is just right for 4-9-year-olds.

I reviewed this one when we added it to our family library.

Miss Kraken, by Nikki Greenberg

Picture books featuring squid are rare, but this Australian one is great for 4-8-year-olds. A class trip to the aquarium with the crankiest teacher in the school turns out to me more fun than anyone thought.

The Truth About My Unbelievable Summer, by Davide Cali and Benjamin Chaud

This quirky little picture book has a cool twist right at the end that will make you want to read it all over again. The text to picture ratio is great for a newly independent reader plus the pictures are really engaging and help tell the story.

The Snail and the Whale, by Julia Donaldson and Axel Sheffler

Taking readers on an adventure around the world, this wonderful rhyming story is fun and touching. Showing us that our size isn’t as limiting as we might think, either big or small, we all have something to give.