Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle

by Claire A. Nivola, Claire A. Nivola (Illustrator)

Overview

Sylvia Earle first lost her heart to the ocean as a young girl when she discovered the wonders of the Gulf of Mexico in her backyard. As an adult, she dives even deeper. Whether she's designing submersibles, swimming with the whales, or taking deep-water walks, Sylvia Earle has dedicated her life to learning more about what she calls "the blue heart of the planet." With stunningly detailed pictures of the wonders of the sea, Life in the Ocean tells the story of Sylvia's growing passion and how her ocean exploration and advocacy have made her known around the world. This picture book biography also includes an informative author's note that will motivate young environmentalists.

Life in the Ocean is one of The Washington Post's Best Kids Books of 2012

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780374380687
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	03/13/2012
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	201,570
Product dimensions:	8.70(w) x 11.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	NC1170L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Claire A. Nivola has written and illustrated many books for children, including most recently Orani. She is also the author of Planting the Trees of Kenya, a picture book about Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai. She lives with her husband in Newton Highlands, Massachusetts.

Editorial Reviews

Nivola’s (Orani: My Father’s Village) folk-styled paintings immediately pull readers into this short biography of oceanographer Sylvia Earle, a pioneer and entrepreneur in her field who also set an example for women of the mid–20th century. The initial spread of Earle’s childhood farm is a Grandma Moses–like collection of pale greens, earth tones, and diminutive motifs that invites closer inspection to find other details: a pair of mallards in a dusky pond, a red cardinal atop a willow. The panoramic illustrations soon move underwater, as Earle’s family relocates to the Gulf Coast, and her interests lead her deeper into ocean exploration. Especially stunning is a bright watercolor of Earle scuba diving amid a tropical reef, the coral and sea life forming a colorful border as she swims between the pages. The straightforward narrative highlights Earle’s career and also provides a few intimate closeups from specific dives (“Moments before the collision, the whale swerved gracefully, tilting her great head to look into Sylvia’s eyes”). Earle’s zeal for ocean exploration and preservation is evident in this visually striking introduction to a remarkable scientist. Ages 4–8. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

...the varied images, atypical seascapes, and account of how one individual was able to realize her goal to see these wonders should spark the imaginations of countless budding scientists.” —Science

“Nivola's mixed-media paintings are undeniably lovely, with myriad shades of blue bathing familiar and mysterious forms of sea life at different ocean depths…” —BCCB

“...exquisitely detailed...” —Horn Book

“…sure to inspire the next generation…” —Booklist, starred

“Readers lucky enough to dive into the unknown world of the renowned oceanographer will discover how a child's curiosity grew into a passion to explore and protect ‘the blue heart of the planet.'” —School Library Journal, starred

“Young explorers will be happy to dive into this captivatingly illustrated biography of the renowned oceanographer.” —Kirkus, starred

“…the sea takes center stage, inviting readers to swim along with Earle herself.” —New York Times

From the Publisher

Gr 1–5—Readers lucky enough to dive into the unknown world of the renowned oceanographer will discover how a child's curiosity grew into a passion to explore and protect "the blue heart of the planet." Born in 1935, Earle grew up in rural New Jersey, where the woods, ponds, and wildlife captured her interest and imagination; she "was a biologist and a botanist long before she even knew what those words meant." When the family moved to Florida in 1947, with the Gulf of Mexico practically in her backyard, she "lost her heart to the water." Roaming the ocean floor in an aqua suit, codesigning a one-person spherical bubble, and plunging 13,000 feet in a Japanese submersible did not satisfy Earle's oceanic wanderlust. In 1970 she realized her dream to "live" underwater; she spent two weeks 50 feet below the surface, observing the daily habits of sea creatures day and night. Detailed watercolor illustrations offer readers a unique perspective of the sea and its inhabitants. A striking spread depicts a 40-foot-long gray humpback whale in deep blue water eyeing a minuscule Earle. Quotes from her journal explain that these huge creatures are surprisingly "…sleek and elegant and gorgeous… they move like ballerinas…dancing in the sea." An author's note details the subject's accomplishments from marine biologist to entrepreneur to environmentalist. Use this engaging read-aloud to introduce students to an inspiring life during women's history month or pair it with Jennifer Berne's Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau (Chronicle, 2008) for an ocean or Earth Day unit.—Barbara Auerbach, PS 217, Brooklyn, NY

School Library Journal

Young explorers will be happy to dive into this captivatingly illustrated biography of the renowned oceanographer. Blue is everywhere, as is the marvelous diversity of undersea life, as Nivola recounts Earle's passion for the oceans. From early childhood, she cultivated her love of nature; her family's move to Florida, close to the Gulf of Mexico's enthralling depths, clinched things. From then on, Earle's explorations took her further and deeper. She helped design devices that allowed dives to profound underwater depths and witnessed the extraordinary phenomenon of bioluminescence. She lived for two weeks beneath the waves in a deep-sea station. Studies of whales yielded nearly magical observations. The detailed, richly colored, jewel-like illustrations capture the majesty of the undersea world and its astonishingly beautiful inhabitants. Nivola is careful to show Earle in perspective, so readers can fully comprehend the ocean's vastness and understand that humans are merely a part of the amazing richness of life on Earth and under its waters. A delicious invitation to swim with the fishes. (author's note, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 5-9)

Kirkus Reviews

With wonderful details and color, the book follows [Earle's] quest, starting with just a pair of goggles, to explore more and more of the sea.
—The Washington Post

Abby McGanney Nolan

Nicole Poole’s rich, flowing voice captures the peaceful beauty of the ocean environment and the story of how Sylvia Earle was drawn to become an oceanographer. Poole’s soothing narration recounts the development of Sylvia’s passion for the ocean, which began when she moved to Clearwater, Florida, at age 12. With well-timed pauses Poole emphasizes both new vocabulary and the story’s environmental message; however, occasionally, her pauses are overextended, and a sentence loses continuity. Overall, she fully conveys Earle’s dedication to the preservation of the ocean with a clear voice and an unrushed pace that will engage young listeners. The author’s note, which discusses terms such as “biodiversity” and “acidification,” is directed towards older children and adults. M.F. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2013 - AudioFile