DIVING DEEP: Using Machines to Explore the Ocean: A NonFiction Picture Book Review and Giveaway

The title of this picture book says it all. The text by Michelle Cusolito and the magnificent illustrations by Nicole Wong provide readers of all ages with an intimate glimpse of ocean. Diving Deep is to be released in June, 2022 from Charlesbridge, but go ahead and pre-order it now!

 

REVIEW

This book will make you and your child or students say "WOW!"

Far away from shore, 

past beaches and coral reefs,

the ocean's surface conceals 

Earth's last unexplored wilderness.

What drives humans to dive into the sea

and sink deeper than the last inkling of light?

L

All illustrations copyright © 2022 by Nicole Wong. Used with permission.

The book begins with the simplest (and most shallow) way to explore the ocean (snorkeling) and ends with the most complicated and deepest (tucked inside a thick metal sphere inside a submersible). Each of the nine ways to explore the ocean are first illustrated with text that is accessible to kindergarten through second graders. Additional text on the accompanying page is aimed at third to fourth grade readers. These pages include details such as how deep the people or machine can go, how long they stay under water, how many people are involved, and also includes potential dangers.

This illustration of an underwater lab captivated me. Don't you love the grouper outside the window?

Here is the text explaining Aquarius Reef Base which is located off the coast of Florida:

It is slightly bigger than a city bus. Scientists who live and work in Aquarius dive to the lab using scuba gear. They live at two and a half times the pressure at sea level. Observers at the surface monitor the habitat through live video and audio feeds. By living at depth, scientists can dive for many more hours than from a boat on the surface, and they can complete research projects in less time. Before returning to the surface, they go through seventeen hours of decompression inside Aquarius. Then they swim to the surface using a small tank of air. Dangers include Aquarius system failure and DCS during quick emergency returns to the surface. 

How about a submersible? Notice the verb use of he word "pretzel."

Typical depth: up to 1,000 meters (3,300 feet)Time: 6 to 12 hours. Number of people: 1 to 3. 

A DeepWorker submersible is like a chair with a submarine wrapped around it. As with other submersibles, the pressure inside is the same as at sea level. A clear, domed top provides a wide view, and dives last about six hours. The pilot drives with their feet, leaving their hands free to take notes or photographs. A headset allows communication with the surface. Triton 3300 submersibles carry one to three people and can dive for eight to ten hours.

The book returns full circle to the young girl and her adult companion snorkeling in a coral reef.

Tomorrow we may 

unlock more secrets of life on Earth.

The last two pages show images of individuals and machines in various water depths.

BACK MATTER

An extensive Author's Note includes Cusolito's previous work, Flying Deep, some information on her research process, and a brief history of underwater exploration. There are also notes about measurement, an extensive glossary, and a bibliography.

PRE-ORDER SPECIAL!!

Michelle told me that she and Nicole have a special pre-order campaign going with Eight Cousins Books. Anyone who preorders from them will receive an adorable, frameable 4x6 print of the strawberry squid from the back matter. All preorders from Eight Cousins will also be signed by me AND Nicole Wong, the illustrator. 

GIVEAWAY

Interested in adding this book to your home or school library? Please leave me a comment by May 9 (along with your name and email address if you are new to my blog) to enter the giveaway. Sign up to follow my blog or share this on social media (make sure you tell me what you do!) and I'll enter your name twice. Continental U.S. addresses only.

Congratulations to Natalie Aguirre who won The Captain's' Daughters. 

What's in Your Pocket? A Picture Book Review, A Mini Author Interview, and A Giveaway!

Nine curious children who grew up to become scientists. Nine adults who discovered new products, new species, and new ideas. These nine individuals are the backbone of Heather Montgomery's latest book, What's In Your Pocket?  (Charlesbridge, 2021). Illustrated by Maribel Lechuga, this STEM book will be an asset to any K-3 classroom.

REVIEW

When you explore the great outdoors and find something strange and wonderful, do you put it in your pocket?   

Scientists collect specimens so they can observe the details of natural artifacts.

Immediately, young readers will be drawn into the opening pages of this book. The young girl who is pictured on the cover, is seen stooping down, examining a rock, and then pocketing it. 

As she walks off, the reader turns the page and sees a field where young George is examining a seedpod.  He must have put it in his pocket because,

The section ends with a repeated refrain,

Nobody knew that George would grow up to be the famous scientist George Washington Carver....He discovered almost three hundred new uses for the peanut including soap, glue, and fuel...

In this charming way, children are also introduced to William Beebe who held eggs in his mouth while climbing down a tree... and became the first person to see glowing fish and other deep-sea animals alive in their habitat; to Valerie Jane who put wiggly worms under her pillow...and became the famous primatologist, Jane Goodall.

Readers meet Charles Darwin (naturalist, biologist), Meg Lowman (biologist, ecologist), Diego Cisneros-Heredia (naturalist and scientist),

Mary Anning (paleontologist), Bonnie Lei (conservation biologist), and Maria Sibylla Merian (naturalist and scientific illustrator).

I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the little girl "narrator" as she explores and collects elements from nature, and the nine mini-biographies of scientists who loved the outdoors as children. The text is very child-friendly and I can practically hear Heather Montgomery speaking directly to the reader!  

The last two pages are a wonderful spread of the animals seen in the book along with the little girl marveling at one of her discoveries. The text reads:

Throughout history, kids have found all

kinds of strange and wonderful things.

They've created collections.

They've made discoveries.

They've changed the world of science.

Every discovery started with just one thing.

One little thing that could fit in a pocket.

What's in your pocket?

Can't you just picture children checking what's inside their pockets after that last line?

BACK MATTER

I'm a back matter junkie and What's In Your Pocket is an example of one of the best. Four and a half pages are filled with "More About These (Grown-Up) Kids. One and a half pages are delightful notes from the illustrator and author. Readers hear about how nature inspired both Maribel Lechuga and Heather Montgomery and how they researched this book. (Artists and writers: Get ready to be impressed!) I particularly like how Heather included that she respects nature, that she respects the people she lives with by "making sure my artifacts are clean and (mostly) stink-free, and she respects herself. "I don't put my hands where my eyes can't see (like under a rock or log). Field guides and a bibliography complete the book.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

CAROL: This is a longer picture book than most.  How did you and Charlesbridge determine the length? ​

HEATHER: Originally, I paced this manuscript to be 32 pages; fortunately, in an early discussion about the project, editor Alyssa Pusey suggested expanding it to 40 pages. At that point in 2018, she was looking for longer picture books. I was delighted. It allowed two full spreads for most of the scientists, gave extra space for backmatter, and made room for more of that luscious art.

CAROL: Closely tied to that first question—how did you pick which scientists to focus on? Were there others you wanted to feature who didn’t make it into the book?

​HEATHER: Finding just the right stories was the challenge. Researching full biographies, I developed a list of scientists and stories. But those biographies did not showcase enough diversity. I crossed names off my list to make room for others. And that required some creative research (like a Google survey sent to scientists around the world). Not only that, but the anecdotes had to convey the right mix of sweetness and skills. It took careful selection and sequencing to illustrate skill-building.

CAROL: I love the structure of the book where you show the scientist as a child and then the reader turns the page and finds out who they became as an adult. Did you indicate that was how you conceived the book when you submitted the manuscript?

​HEATHER: The pause of the page turn can be so powerful. From early on in this project I wanted to make use of the page turn to let readers predict what kind of scientist the young collector might become. It's like an entire biography condensed into two spreads. When I submitted my draft, I used numbers in brackets (i.e. [Page 4-5]) to suggest where page turns might fall. Not every editor wants that, so research before you submit! 

GIVEAWAY

Leave a comment by Saturday, October 16 at 6 PM to enter the giveaway. For an extra chance, start following my blog and let me know that you did. U.S. postal addresses only. IF YOU ARE NEW TO MY BLOG, PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS!