4.5 Stars

If you’re familiar with Octonauts, this felt similar! This is a collection of short stories with each focused on a specific marine creature. The story was followed by more specific information about that creature – ie a creature report.

My kids and I enjoyed these stories. My 6 year old specifically is very interested in sea creatures and is knowledgeable about sea life; he loved these stories. The narrator did a great job proving interest in their storytelling voice. I also appreciated the music segways. Depending on your bedtime routines, I don’t think this would be an ideal bedtime audiobook – it has too much energy for right before bed (at least for my house). It was great for car rides though!

Thank you NetGalley, Alicia Klepeis, and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook ARC.

I was intrigued by title of this book and the cover. I listened to the audiobook with my nieces (age 3 and 8) and they enjoyed the stories. Images would be helpful for some of the lesser known animals like the marine iguana and albatross, so younger children may prefer the physical book to the audiobook. However, I really enjoyed the background sounds of waves, seagulls, etc that you wouldn't have in the book. The narration was well done.

I've seen photos of the book and the artwork is wonderful. I was able to pull up images on my phone to show my niece and then she said "oh, that's cool!" Maybe a combination of the audiobook with the book would be best. The children can listen to the stories and see the pictures at the same time.

I'm always looking for new books that teach children about conservation and loved the "science behind the story" segments at the end of each story. Children who love the ocean and animals in general will love these stories!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest, unbiased opinion.

I thought this was such a cute and informational filled collection of short stories all about the ocean and its inhabitants.

I truly enjoyed it, but honestly wish there was a different narrator :/ it just didn’t do it for me.

This book is enchanting! I wish it had been available when my children were young! The stories cover marine mammals, fish and many other wonderful creatures from all over the world. The stories are wonderful and the science behind the stories is factually accurate and easy to understand. I would highly recommend this to any adults who want to introduce children to the magic of the oceans!

Secrets of the Ocean is a delightful audiobook filled with information on many lesser-known sea creatures and animals that can be found around the ocean. I listened to this with my 3 year old and was surprised at how well it kept his attention. There were stories of albatross love, as the birds famously mate for life, sea otter cubs sleeping in bed of kelp, deep-sea anglerfish catching their prey with bioluminescence, and iguanas able to swim while camouflaged from predators on the air above and the sea below. The descriptions in this book really brought everything to life. That being said, I think illustrations are necessary to fully appreciate the book. This would be a great book to own a physical copy of and read in tandem with the audiobook. Overall, it was a fun and educational book and I would recommend it for children.

My daughter absolutely loved these stories. A beautifully themed melodic track plays behind the narration. Each story has an accompanying themed track. The narrator does an amazing job portraying the stories and adding emphasis to keep the listener engaged. The stories are more of a narrative outline of what the animals are doing (think documentary) rather than a fun fictional tale. At the end of each story there are also extra facts about each animal, which my daughter absolutely loved.