Nonfiction Monday: Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea

Down, down, down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea

by Steve Jenkins
Ages 4-8, 40 pages
Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2009

Reviewed by Heidi Bee Roemer

Book Source: We would like to thank the Orland Park Public Library for loaning a copy of this book for review.

Hop aboard an imaginary deep sea vessel and travel down, down, down some 35,000 feet (seven miles!) to the Challenger Deep, the deepest spot of the sea. Our journey begins on the surface of the Pacific Ocean where you’ll see wondrous and remarkable sights. Stunning cut-and-torn paper collages depict a soaring albatross, flying squid, playful dolphin and a Great White Shark. Turn the page, and we descend deeper, into the Sunlit Zone where marine life flourishes: sailfish, tuna, mola mola—and holy mackerel!—that, too. Small-sized text offers fascinating facts about the mysterious creatures that live at various levels of the ocean depths, including predators, filter feeders and soft bodied animals. You’d need a special diving suit to plummet 1,600 feet down. That’s when you approach the Twilight Zone. Here, nine out of ten animals are bioluminescent, (they produce their own light). And that’s not all. There are several more breathtaking stops before you finally reach the ocean floor.
It doesn’t take much for readers to imagine themselves being submerged into these mysterious and unfathomable depths, thanks to Jenkin’s dramatic text and stunning artwork. Astonishing creatures are highlighted against blue and pitch-black backgrounds: frightful creatures with teeth, animals that resemble plants, and still others that glow in the dark. On the right hand side of each page, a thermometer-like gauge shows readers exactly how far down they are from the surface. Some may be surprised to learn that at even at the deepest spot of the cold, dark ocean, there is life. When your deep sea journey has ended, you’ll want to pour over the five end pages of this book, as they contain information about recent discoveries and new scientific research. No doubt, you’ll be eager to share this riviting oceanic journey with a young friend soon!

Learn more about Steve Jenkins and all of his wonderful books by visiting his website.

This book is part of the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up hosted this week by Bookish Blather blog.

Nonfiction Monday: Little Black Ant on Park Street

Little Black Ant on Park Street
Written by Janet Halfmann
Illustrated by Kathleen Rietz
32 Pages, Ages 4-8
Soundprints (Smithsonian's Backyard), 2009
Reviewed by Kim Hutmacher
Bio by Laura Crawford
Book Source: We would like to thank Soundprints for providing a copy of this
book for review.
Janet Halfmann takes readers under and above ground, deep into the life
of a little black ant that lives on Park Street. We see her underground home complete with nurseries, bedrooms, food storage and sickrooms connected by intricate tunnels expertly constructed by Ant and her family.
We observe Ant hunt for food and the team effort her family displays when Ant's find is too large to hall alone. We see what happens when another ant species tries to hone in on Ant's kill. Warning: Do Not Mess With Another Ant's Dinner!
This book is educational and entertaining. Halfmann's text is clear and tells a wonderfully engaging story. The bright and colorful illustrations bring the story to life. Children will be left curious and anxious to observe and learn more about the ant families that reside on their own streets.
Janet Halfmann has quite an extensive book history. She double majored in English and Spanish and later earned a degree in journalism. Janet freelanced, worked as a reporter and created coloring books and activity pages. She even started her own magazine. At one time she planned on teaching, but an ad for a course in writing for children changed her goal ~ she now dreamed of becoming an author. The first step toward her dream was an assignment to write insect books for Creative Company. Now, she has written over 30 books. Visit her website at www.janethalfmann.com.
This post is part of the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up hosted this week by Books Together blog.

Nonfiction Monday: Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out!

Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out! (Paperback)
By April Pulley Sayre, Ills. by Annie Patterson
Republished by Charlesbridge, 2010

Reviewed by Heidi Bee Roemer

Book Source: We would like to thank the Orland Park Public Library for loaning a copy of this book for review.

Many animal stories show how man’s careless actions cause problems for creatures in the wild. But Sayre’s engaging narrative about the loggerhead turtle’s life tells a different tale. In addition to learning about the sea turtle’s life cycle, readers will see how "helping hands" assist one particular little turtle as she encounters challenges and life-threatening dangers. Children will enjoy chiming in on the catchy refrain, "Turtle, turtle, watch out!"
Even before the turtle hatches, her life is in jeopardy; a hungry raccoon family digs near the nest for eggs. Young hands come to the rescue, scaring the bandits away and placing writer mesh around the nest site. Clever hands protect the turtle eggs by posting a "Beached Closed" sign. Small hands turn off a bright light when the hatchling mistakenly heads for it instead of following the moonlight on the ocean. A boater’s quick hands snatch a floating plastic bag from the water which would have choked and possibly killed the turtle had she taken a bite out of it. Sayre’s simple yet expressive text draws readers into the story. Best of all, readers will come to understand that even small "helping hands" can have a positive, far-reaching effect on turtles and other endangered species.
Captivating color illustrations follow the female’s life cycle: her birth on a Florida beach, her 20-year life in the ocean, and her return to the beach where she mates, digs a hole in the sand, and lays a clutch of her own eggs. The final page includes information about seven species of sea turtles and conservation efforts. Originally in hardcover, illustrated by Lee Christiansen, the new 2010 paperback edition has been re-illustrated by Annie Patterson.

This post is part of the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up hosted this week by Charlotte's Library blog.