by Olivia Pucella, Cloudaloud Assistant
Summer can get really busy, and at the end of a long week, we often find ourselves scrambling to find something – anything – to do with the kids!
But Cloudaloud has just the thing! Why not escape with an audiobook?
Learn about the beach and the environment. Read about the importance of friendship and expand creativity while listening to some of our favourite titles.
Is It A Mermaid? by Candy Gourlay
As Bel and Benji play on a tropical beach, a friendly dugong joins them. The dugong, also known as a "sea cow," insists she is actually a mermaid! She shows off what she claims is her elegant tail, graceful swimming technique, and melodious singing voice.
Bel, who sees beauty in the dugong’s ungainly efforts to sing and dance, embraces her imaginative and joyful fantasy world. Benji, however, is so determined to prove she is a lumbering grey sea cow, that he inadvertently offends their new friend… But luckily, mermaids are very forgiving!
Check out our teaching resources for Is It a Mermaid? here.
This is one of our favourite EmpathyLab titles about friendship, acceptance and forgiveness. To find out more about our commitment to making empathy-building audiobooks more accessible, visit our Empathy page.
The Wide, Wide Sea by Anna Wilson
A lyrical and inspirational picture book about protecting nature from plastic pollution.
When a young child forges a special connection with a seal on a trip to the seaside, their imagination takes them on an unforgettable journey. Through their eyes, we have a chance to explore everything the amazing beach and wide, wide sea has to offer . . . until suddenly a violent storm blows in.
The next morning the beach is ugly . . . and covered in litter. Whose fault is it? And who can fix it? Together, the child, their grandmother, and the rest of the community clean the beach, and the child makes a promise to the seal that things will change for the better.
Splash by Jane Hissey
Old Bear and his friends take a trip to the seaside! While the other toys play in the sand, Little Bear goes to sea in a bucket and makes a brand-new friend - Splash the baby seal.
These titles are just a few of our great summer listens. You can find many more on the Cloudaloud app; they're the perfect mini-break for little imaginations!