Nonfiction Monday: Into the Deep

Into the Deep: The Life of Naturalist and Explorer William Beebe

Written and Illustrated by David Sheldon
Ages 9-7, 48 pages
Charlesbridge, 2009

Reviewed by Heidi Bee Roemer

Bio by Laura Crawford

Book Source: We would like to thank the Midlothian Public Library for providing a copy of this book for review.

William Beebe’s passion for nature was evident early on. As a child, he roamed the New Jersey hillsides studying animals. He and his mother participated in the Audubon Society’s annual bird migration count. By age twelve he was an expert animal tracker. He mounted insects and collected plants and rocks. A young self-taught taxidermist, his bedroom was filled with stuffed birds, aquariums and terrariums. He was only eighteen when he began writing nature articles for magazines and newspapers. And before graduating from college, Beebe became the assistant curator of birds for the New York Zoological Park (The Bronx Zoo). His early years foreshadowed what was to come.
This large-size picture book chronicles the life of a remarkable American naturalist ecologist, conservationist and deep-sea explorer, William Beebe. Sheldon’s colorful, action-packed double page spreads in India ink and acrylics show Beebe riding a burro in South America, scaling a tree in Amazon jungle, and diving into the ocean off the Galapagos Islands. Most famous for his record-breaking deep-sea dive, readers will be intrigued to learn that Beebe helped design the Bathysphere, and in 1934, descended into the unexplored depths of the ocean to view fascinating, eerie underwater creatures that no man had ever seen before!
Readers curious to learn more about Beebe’s groundbreaking research and scientific discoveries will find a more detailed summary at the end of the book, as well as quotes from Beebe’s journals, a glossary and bibliography. Children who enjoy wildlife television programs such as "Wild Kingdom" and Steve Irwin’s "Crocodile Hunter," will find Into the Deep irresistible. A National Science Teachers Association Recommends, this book is a fascinating study of how one man’s passion help shape our views of ecology.

David Sheldon has been illustrating since first grade when he was the hit of the class because he could draw scary monsters. As an adult, he says "I try to go 'all out' with colors and details to really give the young reader an 'amazing journey'"'. When he was young he loved to look at the photos in science books, but the books had too many words for him to read. His goal is to make inviting picture books that children can read and examine independently. He began as an illustrator, but also likes to write his own stories, sometimes using his middle name and pseudonym, Quentin. Check out his online portfolio at http://www.davidquentinsheldon.com/.

This post is part of the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up hosted this week by Lerner Books blog.