Bibliography
Jenkins, S. (2009). Down, down, down a journey to the bottom of the sea. Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt Publishing. ISBN 9780618966363
Plot Summary
Take a journey down, down, down to the deepest depths of the sea! Explore each zone of the briny deep and discover fascinating creatures that live in each section one by one. As you travel to the deep, you’ll learn about teeming life that can only by a microscope to sea animals three times the size of a standard bus! The journey doesn’t end there though. Soon you’ll reach the deepest depths of the ocean to see creatures of the deep that illuminate themselves to attract prey or squirt bright goo in defense against a predator. This will be an unforgettable journey to the deepest part of the sea.
Critical Analysis
Author and illustrator, Steve Jenkins creates a children’s nonfiction book that readers can’t put down. Complete with fascinating facts about the depths of the ocean and the creatures that inhabit each of them, Jenkins continues to engage the reader with his artfully crafted illustrations. Brilliantly cut and torn paper collages construct each animal and add to the mystifying appeal of each section of the sea. In addition to the information presented within each sector, Jenkins provides a diagram for each segment of the book. Here readers are able to easily identify each creature portrayed within the text and compare its size to a human hand or body.
Review Excerpt(s)
"In this plunge into the deep, Jenkins displays his usual keen awareness of what is fascinating about biology and imparts it without sensationalism—the facts speak for themselves . . Sophisticated cut- and torn-paper collage-work fit the alien qualities of the subjects well; it’s equally at home capturing the tiered needlepoints of lizardfish teeth as it is delivering an impressive and illuminating display of bioluminescence."--Booklist
“Browsers will be delighted by the variety of species, shown in their appropriate colors although not to scale. Backmatter provides some information about the animals pictured, including sizes compared to a human body or hand, although the bibliography does not seem to include the sources used for those facts. Once again, Jenkins provides an almost irresistible entry into our natural world for the youngest readers.”--Kirkus Reviews
"Jenkins takes his signature collage to the oceans, sinking readers from the surface of the Pacific Ocean down nearly 11,000 meters to the bottom of the Marianas Trench. His style works well here: with passage into each zone (from the surface to the sunlit zone to the twilight zone, etc.), the blue backgrounds shade darker and murkier, which allows the intricate cut-paper animal illustrations to pop."--Horn Book
Connections
For additional activities related to the book:
Children can make a paper collage of various animals presented in the book.
Learn more about ocean zones with this fun activity. Click on this link for the activity: https://www.kcedventures.com/blog/layers-of-the-ocean-under-the-sea-science-activities
Craft a whale from a paper plate. Click on this link for the activity:
http://krokotak.com/2014/07/a-paper-plate-whale/
Other recommended books if you liked this one:
- Where the Weird Things Are: An Ocean Twilight Zone Adventure by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
- Ultimate Oceanpedia: The Most Complete Ocean Reference Ever (National Geographic Kids) by Christina Wilsdon
- Alien Deep (Premium Edition): Revealing the Mysterious Living World at the Bottom of the Ocean Paperback by Bradley Hague
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