As I have already mentioned, my son is obsessed with sea creatures. And I think, if you’ve got a child with a particular interest, feed it! (A marine biologist has a good ring to it, don’t you think??)

So we’ve been on a quest to buy him every book you can find that mentions fish, whales or sharks. And of all his fish books, Derek the Deep-sea Doctor, written and illustrated by Leo Timmers, has to be the most beautiful. The vivid, sculptural illustrations and bold colors accompany a charming story about a kind-hearted doctor who travels in his submarine to visit sick animals in the sea.

Leo Timmers is an award-winning artist/illustrator who lives in Brussels. His website shows a collection of his other books, with a few images from each book. Among my favorites is a book called Who Is Driving?, which allows the readers to guess which animal will drive each vehicle. All his books are marked by the same bold colors, subtle humour, and very characteristic form.

My son is convinced he wants to be a sea doctor when he grows up. I’m sure next week he’ll be in to dinosaurs, but for now we are enjoying this fish phase…

-Courtney