Tag: Otis and Will

Over the last few months we have been exploring some of the fantastic nonfiction children’s books that were nominated for 2018 Cybils awards.

Let’s dive into two children’s picture books about deep sea exploration.

First up is Flying Deep: Climb Inside Deep-Sea Submersible Alvin by Michelle Cusolito and illustrated by Nicole Wong, which is a finalist in the Elementary Nonfiction category.

The reader is taken on a day-long ride in the submersible Alvin to the bottom of the ocean, almost two miles down. Find out what you might see, how you might feel, even what you might eat and drink while cramped inside a three-person exploration craft. It is so real, you will want to stand up and stretch when you are done.

The digital illustrations stay in the cool color plate and are appropriately dark in the deepest depths. The underwater creatures are beautifully drawn and detailed. Some of the spreads fill the pages lengthwise, giving even more sense of traveling down beneath the water.

Flying Deep is a wonderful adventure in book form. Climb in and explore the ocean depths today!

Age Range: 5 – 9 years
Publisher: Charlesbridge (May 22, 2018)
ISBN-10: 1580898416
ISBN-13: 978-1580898416

Otis and Will Discover the Deep: The Record-Setting Dive of the Bathysphere by Barb Rosenstock and illustrated by Katherine Roy reveals the collaboration that led to the first deep ocean dive back in June 6, 1930.

Years before the Alvin submersible, two men decided they wanted to be the first to explore the deepest ocean. Otis Barton and Will Beebe designed a round metal ball they called a bathysphere to carry them far beneath the water. Because they were the first, they bravely faced the many dangers to successfully explore areas that no one had seen before and see sights no one could have imagined.

Katherine Roy’s watercolors are playful and full of action. The climax of the book, when the two reach the lowest point, is a surprising two-gatefold spread.

Otis and Will Discover the Deep is a suspenseful tribute to two brave men. It will appeal to budding marine biologists and engineers alike. Dive into a copy today.

Age Range: 6 – 9 years
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (June 5, 2018)
ISBN-10: 0316393827
ISBN-13: 978-0316393829

Disclosure: Otis and Will book was provided by our local library and Flying Deep was provided by the publisher. Also, I am an affiliate with Amazon so I can share with cover images and links to more information about books and products. As you probably are aware, if you click through the highlighted title link and purchase a product, I will receive a very small commission, at no extra cost to you. Any proceeds help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this website.

Come visit the STEM Friday blog each week to find more great Science, Technology, Engineering and Math books.Opens in a new window Note: this is a new link as of 10/2018.