top ten books on swimming
it’s been terribly hot here in brisbane, and if we don’t have air conditioning… we’ve been to the local pool, the local park which has an amazing water park, or our extremely accommodating neighbours’ pool. thank god for neighbors with pools.
You are reading: Children’s books about swimming
swimming lessons are also available again… so let’s go back to reading lots of books about swimming, swimming lessons, being on the beach, swimming in the ocean and swimming in “the deep”! our favorites are below. If you have a little swimmer who would like to be a mermaid, I highly recommend this book here. for those who asked on instagram… the togs that the wild thing and her cousin are wearing above are ‘shadow girls’ and I highly recommend them… my girls have them, they are beautiful swimmers and I even have one of their tops! #not sponsored #justlove
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top ten books on swimming
‘ruby learns to swim’ written by phillip gwynne and illustrated by tamsin ainslie
text by gwynne and illustrations by ainslie = perfect picture book. We follow the main character Ruby as she has her swimming lesson and learns about bubbles, straight legs and strong kicks. pudstar’s favorite part of this book was the delightful array of swimsuits and swim caps that ruby is featured in…the patterns and colors are just beautiful and it would be so much fun to do more swimsuit and hat combinations for ruby as tracking activity. This is a learn-to-swim book for little ones and it’s just delicious.
‘there is a sea in my bedroom’ written by margaret wild and illustrated by jane tanner
This absolute classic of Australian children’s literature was first published in 1984 and has remained popular ever since. my kids have my own childhood copy of this book and every summer we read it over and over and over again. there is something truly magical about this book. the main character, david is afraid of the sea, but when he finds a conch shell, he can hear the sea trapped inside. This beautifully illustrated story takes the reader into a child’s fantasy world and explores the fears (of swimming in the sea) and the wonder of the imagination.
‘the deep’ written by tim winton and illustrated by karen louise
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written by tim winton, this book is perfect for encouraging children to dive (pardon the bad pun) into “deep”… something that is very scary for many. alice lives near the beach and loves the sand and playing in the dunes. she is not afraid of many things at all, but she is afraid of the deep. We follow Alice as she enjoys the beach, but not the water until one day when some new friends tempt her.
‘Peppa Pig: Peppa Goes Swimming’ by Ladybird.
If you have a Peppa Pig fan at home, this is the “swimming lessons” book for you. wild thing loved this book and we read it… 500 or 600 times after the disaster that was his first week of swimming. it definitely helped – if george could do it, so could she! Peppa and George go swimming, but George is a little scared. how will mummy and daddy pigs convince him to get into the pool?
‘the deep end’ written by ursula dubosarsky and illustrated by mitch vane
I’ve spoken before about how much I enjoy the Aussie Nibble books, and this one is particularly great. At swimming lessons, Becky all set to move up from the Frog group, to the Platypus group. She loves swimming lessons, but being a Platypus means facing…the deep end. An amusing tale about facing some swimming fears! 
‘clem always could’ by sarah watt
Clem was good at lots of things. He was always good at just so many things; well that is how he remembers it. So when he has to learn to swim…he has a bit of a confidence crisis when he find something he cannotdo! 
‘grandmother buttonhole and me’. written by dianne wolfer and illustrated by karen blair.
This book has a surfer granny, so for starters, it’s a winner! My grandmother and her friends go to the beach and so do I. when they hit the waves, they duck and dive and go round and round. Looks like lots of fun. but I don’t want to go in the water. there are strange things under the waves. there are also some good tips at the end about visiting the beach. perfect reading for the summer holidays!
rebecca patterson’s ‘the deep end’
A fun look at swimming lessons and the dreaded deep end of the pool! the main character decides that while swimming lessons are great, the best part is the hot shower at the end! for early childhood and first cycle of primary school.
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‘Grug Learns to Swim’ by Ted Prior.
I grew up with grug books and now, as they are republished, this new generation can discover him, that unforgettable hero of the Australian bush. In 2009, this little monster who once sold millions turned 30 years old. in this title you can splash, row and float with grug… for me it’s a trip to the past!
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‘a bath in the sea’. written by sue whiting and illustrated by meredith thomas.
This wonderful book deals with the age-old theme of the thrill of the beach trip versus the “fear” of the sea! Bruno was too excited for his jam toast. Today was his big day. Today, Bruno was going to swim. swimming in the sea – the great blue sea. but will he be brave enough?
‘maisy learns to swim’ by lucy cousins.
I’ve written before about how much I love Maisy’s “first experience” books. They cover so many situations. this one is no exception; Maisy is a bit nervous… she is going to her first swimming lesson today. there’s a lot of hustle and bustle in the locker room and – wow! – the pool looks so big and is always so luxurious! luckily eddie and tallulah have come too and they all have a great swimming teacher named poppy the hippo. everyone has a lot to learn, like floating, kicking and blowing bubbles, but it’s so much fun!
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