DREAM SUBMARINE
By: Charlotte Gunnufson
Illustrated by: Cleonique Hilsaca
Published: June 11, 2024
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Fiction
The newest book by Iowa author, Charlotte Gunnufson is a fun bedtime journey through the ocean. Gunnufson lives near me and it is serendipitous that her book landed in my mailbox from one of the regular publishers I work with. I’m sad I didn’t know about Gunnufson before but I’m thrilled to share her newest book with you. My friend, Katie even interviewed Charlotte back in 2017 for the Cedar Rapids Gazette, a publication I also used to write for. Fellow writer, Laura also interviewed her for this book, HERE.
What could be dreamier than gliding through the oceans in a submarine and watching all the amazing ocean creatures swim by you? Climb inside the Dream Submarine for a journey around the world in the ocean. From a box fish to a loggerhead to a parrotfish to humpback whales, your journey will be full of amazing ocean creatures to observe in their own bedtime routine.
With dreamy ocean scenes and accurate illustrations of fish and other ocean creatures, kids will be so entranced with the story they won’t even realize they are also getting a lesson on the ocean. The calming colors will prepare your child for bedtime and the various fish will amaze them and encourage them to want to know more about them.
At the end of the book, you’ll find a map of the world with a dotted line showing the journey the Dream Submarine took around the globe beginning off the coast of Africa, around Australia, up to North America, down to South America, and ending off the coast of Europe. Then a detailed glossary includes the ocean life that lives in each part of the world’s great ocean.
I loved learning about the Zanzibar butterflyfish, the Leopard wrasses, and the Moon jellies, all creatures I didn’t know about. For the ocean lover in your family or a child looking for a new bedtime story to add to their nightly reading routine, Dream Submarine is the ideal book for that combination of reading and learning. It may just encourage your child to explore the ocean in their dreams. How fun will it be to talk about a Sea Turtle or a Red Moki getting ready for bed while your child is brushing their teeth and climbing under the covers?
Check out the book trailer:
| Charlotte Gunnufson is a language arts teacher turned author. Her books include Halloween Hustle, illustrated by Kevan Atteberry, and Prince and Pirate, illustrated by Mike Lowery. She cares deeply about young people and this old planet. She’s buoyed up by a lovely quote from ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau: “People protect what they love.” Charlotte Gunnufson lives in Iowa. Check out her website, HERE. | |
| Cleonique Hilsaca is an illustrator whose work can be found in picture books, newspapers, magazines, board games, and galleries. She is the illustrator of Rat Fair by Leah Rose Kessler and Thriving with Autism by Katie Cook as well as a contributing illustrator to Warm Blood by Josh Tierney. Though her work is primarily digital, she can sometimes be found painting with watercolors in the wild. Cleonique Hilsaca lives in Georgia. |
To purchase a copy of DREAM SUBMARINE, click HERE.
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Thanks to the publisher for sending a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. This review is my honest opinion. If you choose to make a purchase through the above links, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase.
Check out my review policy, HERE.
Posted Under bedtime, Book Review, Charlotte Gunnufson, Children's books, Cleonique Hilsaca, fiction, Iowa Author, ocean