Exploring the Deep, Dark Sea

by Gail Gibbons

Filled with intriguing facts and colorful illustrations, a book by an award-winning author examines the history and science of diving, the different ocean zones, and the future of undersea research. Reprint.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Childrens, Picture Books

32 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1999

About the author

From gailgibbons.com: I was born in Oak Park, Illinois, in 1944. Even as a little child, I was always busy putting books together. Sometimes I would bind them with yarn to hold the pages together. I've always loved drawing and painting. I was also a very curious child. My parents tell me that I was always asking lots and lots of questions.

Later, I went on to the University of Illinois, where I studied graphic design. Then I moved to New York City, where I got a job doing artwork for television shows. Eventually I was asked to do the artwork for a children's show. While doing that show, some of the children asked me if I had ever thought of doing children's books. My mind immediately recalled how much I enjoyed doing that type of thing when I was a child. So I put an idea for a book together and right away a publisher bought it. That book was called Willy and His Wheel Wagon. Since then, over 170 books that I have written and illustrated have been published. The type of books I write are non-fiction books. This is because I love researching so much. I get to ask lots of questions, just like when I was a kid. I also get to travel and meet lots of interesting people. While doing research for my book Nature's Green Umbrella: Tropical Rain Forests, I traveled to two islands where there are tropical rain forests, Saba and Dominica. I also had a great time writing and illustrating the book. I get a lot of pleasure from doing the type of work I do.

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gail Gibbons’ books are always a solid nonfiction for educational things, and this one is no exception.

[Mitel Patel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adventurous book to read. It’s about two oceanographers and a pilot who climbs into a submersible and go exploring into the deep sea. The vessel is used for collecting samples on what there is in the sea e.g. plants and creatures.

There are excellent images and drawings using water colour paint to illustrate the deep dark sea and what can be found. Its an interesting and engaging book for children.

The non-fiction book is suitable for children above 5 years old. It’s an excellent book for cross curricular activities such as geography and art.

It also leaves room for discussion in the end as the author notes that 98% of the ocean floor is still unexplored. This allows children to start thinking what else they may find in the ocean and give them an opportunity to express their view. They can also draw out what they believe can be found in the sea.

[V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why we chose this book:
T loves books with creatures from the bottom of the sea. The spookier and icky-er the better. Holiday House provided a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Mom's Review (V)
A team of oceanographers descends in a submersible. As they drop through the different zones (sunlight, twilight, etc.), readers are introduced to life in that zone. Brief paragraphs strike an ideal balance between maintaining interest, providing enough information, and using age-appropriate vocabulary. We've read a number of deep-sea books, and this has the best narrative. (The Big Book of the Blue is not a narrative. It is a stunning reference book.) Once the submersible returns to the mother ship with numerous specimens, readers learn that oceanographers can also use remotely operated vehicles (ROV's) to explore even deeper destinations. From the Mariana Trench to the shallows and from skin diving to ROV's, children have a comprehensive tour of the oceans and of the history of diving. Back matter provides a timeline of diving developments and the change in man's understanding of the sea.

We love this one! Exploring the Deep, Dark Sea is fascinating and exciting and repeatedly requested by T. Not only did we both learn several new facts about the ocean, the story has translated into T's play. (Did you know that the tripod fish searches for food in the abyss with the tips of its fins? I didn't.) The facts are woven into the narrative smoothly such that T is "collecting specimens" from "the twilight zone" in his LEGO "submersible." That would not be happening had he not been so drawn into this magical work of non-fiction. It's fun. It's factual. It's fantastic.

Son's Review (T)
(Age: 4)
Mom: What's your favorite thing we read?

Son: That it's very deep!

Mom: What is your favorite part of the ocean? Why?

Son: I like the Twilight Zone. It's that creatures make violuminescence [bioluminescence].

Mom: Would you want to go in the submersible? How deep? What would you want to see?

Son: Mmm-hmmm. Eighty-hundredy-fifty deep. I like this deep *points to Hadal Zone.* I would like to go in the Hadal Zone. I would wanna see the creatures buried in the trench!
(I supplied the name of the zone.)

Mom: What was the most amazing thing we read?

Son: This part [the Hadal Zone] really surprised me...the ocean had a trench!

Mom: What would you ask the explorers?

Son, indicating the ROV: Where do you store the animals, 'cuz I'm so sure they store the animals there [in the front section].

Mom: For whom is this a good book?

Son: Anyone who likes the ocean.

[Susan Treat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells you about they first ways we as humans would explore the ocean and how it is done today.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good book but I preferred Flying Deep: Climb Inside Deep Sea Submersible Alvin

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shows the voyage of a submersible as it travels down through several of the ocean zones. In each zone (e.g. the sunlight zone) representative creatures are portrayed and named. The watercolors are used to great effect to contrast the darkness of the depths with light from the submersible; they also capture the many strange and wondrous creatures living in the ocean. A timeline of diving technology and odds and ends about the ocean round out the book. I can see many children wanting to read / see more pictures of the ocean creatures after reading this.

I think the current threats to the ocean could have been illuminated (terrible pun intended) a bit more. The only hint of conservation is found in the line, "All living things are part of the world's food chain." And lastly one feature that I would expect from a comparable book today - this one is from 1999 - and perhaps nonfiction children's books in general are website urls for children to learn more about topics brought up in the book.

[Samantha Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awards: None

Grade Level: Preschool through Third Grade

Original Summary: This story take you on a journey while exploring the depths of the ocean! Some of the things that are looked at are different animal species, and plant species too! It is told from the perspective of the scientists in the submarine with a lot of details.

Original Review: I liked the amount of information given in this book and I also appreciated the fact that the scientists on the submarine were the ones telling the story as they explored the ocean! The information that they tell as they explore is accurate and detailed so that readers can really understand the things that can be found on the bottom of the ocean!

2-3 In Class Uses: 1) This could be used to initiate a class discussion about the animals/sea life that they saw throughout the book that they may have seen in real life. 2) I could incorporate a mini lesson about the different types of plants in the ocean and how they might live. 3) Students could draw a picture of one things that they learned about the ocean while reading the book.

[Christina Bell]

My favorite book. Exploring the depths of the ocean through a submersible. The water color illustration is what draws me to turn the next page. The author gives so much detail in the illustrations. The different levels of the ocean and how each one is different. The last pages of all Gail Gibbons books give small factoids. In this book Gail gives a timeline of diving. Humans were diving and discovering the ocean's floor in 1250 and we still have explored 2% of ocean!!!