Flying Deep

April 1, 2018

Gr 2-4-On the Alvin submersible, three scientists dive into the Pacific Ocean to discover if life thrives at the bottom of the sea. Written in a loose logbook style, the book captures the emotions of the scientists who are hopeful that their work could lead to new discoveries. Cusolito's narrative takes readers through a normal day on the Alvin and uses sound effects, repetition, and challenging vocabulary to provide kids with a suspenseful and informative plot. ("Alvin sinks, slowly spinning DOWN DOWN DOWN. Your stomach flutters.") Wong's realistic yet subdued digital illustrations are a perfect match for the subject matter. In addition, the font color contrasts with the background, making for an easy reading experience. VERDICT A captivating story that introduces and encourages scientific study, specifically the field of oceanography. A great addition to STEM collections.-Hilary Tufo, Columbus Metropolitan Library-Reynoldsburg

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 15, 2018
Readers join an Alvin pilot and scientists in an exciting journey as they voyage down deep to the ocean floor to collect samples and conduct research.Named for Allyn Vine, who helped pioneer deep submergence research and technology for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Alvin helped in the exploration of the Titanic wreckage in 1986. "Imagine you're the pilot of Alvin, a deep-sea submersible barely big enough for three," the engaging text begins. Cusolito's inviting, "you are there" narration puts readers inside the submersible to discover what one wears, eats, and talks about during a typical eight-hour journey to learn about life inhabiting the deepest realms of our oceans. How do you breathe? What kind of music might you listen to? How do you see when you "enter thick blackness"? The answers to those and many other questions are answered. The voyage down is not without perils: "Fishing nets or anchor chains could entangle Alvin and trap you." On the seafloor, "Eerie spires loom. Black smokers blast scalding water and poisonous, sooty particles from deep inside Earth." The digitally created illustrations evoke the dark mysteriousness of the deep ocean and depict the crew as a man of color, a white woman, and a white man. Endmatter explains how Alvin works and describes the author's and illustrator's research.An appealing, exhilarating, and informative vicarious journey of discovery. (glossary, further reading) (Informational picture book. 5-9)

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May 1, 2018
Grades 1-3 Since its first launch in 1965, only 40 men and 1 woman have piloted the deep-sea submersible Alvin. Young readers can imagine themselves as one of the pilots in this sensory-rich picture book that uses second-person narration to describe a typical mission in the Pacific Ocean. As the pilot and two scientists (one of whom is a woman) squeeze into the tiny human-occupied vehicle (HOV) and prepare to launch, a surface crew performs final checks. As Alvin sinks, / slowly spinning / DOWN DOWN DOWN, the digitally rendered illustrations depict not only the progressively darker ocean color but also the changes in marine life, until the HOV, two miles deep, reaches the ocean floor. Here the scientists investigate, record, analyze, and take samples of this extreme ecosystem, avoiding such calamities as rocky columns that could pin them below the surface, before finally resurfacing. Both the wonder and danger are palpable. Back matter offers more information on Alvin and some of the strange organisms living in the ocean's deepest waters. An inviting look at scientists in action.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)