Jacques Cousteau:Champion Of (Earthkeepers Series) [Library Binding]

Catherine Reef (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 9, 1997 | Age Level: 9 and up | Series: Earthkeepers Series

Examines the life and accomplishments of the celebrated French oceanographer.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-- Cousteau's accomplishments are really too expansive to compress into such a brief account, but Reef has provided some highlights of his childhood, his training, and the unique opportunities that have led to his celebrity status. His activities as an innovator in the development of safe diving equipment, underwater photography, and the journeys of the ship Calypso form much of the text. Readers will be able to absorb a sense of wonderment and appreciation for the sea and its creatures, although on a much less visual scale than those who watched Cousteau's Undersea World on television for over a decade. Extensive quotes from Cousteau are included, but no sources are revealed; nor, unfortunately, is the address of the Cousteau Society. Rogers states that Carver was an environmentalist ``before that word was ever used.'' She captures the beauty and grace of this man who made wonderful contributions as an agricultural researcher and chemist, an innovator and inventor, and most of all, as a model teacher. She recounts his beginnings as a &- slave, his isolation, and his interest in his natural surroundings. Carver's love for humanity is also conveyed; although he experienced prejudice firsthand, he rejected hatred as a retaliatory weapon. The liveliness of this presentation invites readers to find out more about this outstanding scientist. Attractive, well-executed pencil drawings are sprinkled throughout both texts. It's too bad that neither book has a list for further reading. Gene Adair's George Washington Carver (Chelsea, 1989) has such a list and includes sources of the information and photographs within. --Miriam Hansen, Indianhead Federated Library System, Eau Claire, WI
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Library Binding: 72 pages
• Publisher: 21st Century (December 9, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805021140
• ISBN-13: 978-0805021141
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 7.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,729,121 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2.0 out of 5 stars Catherine Reef: Jacques Cousteau: Champion of the Sea, October 29, 2004

By 

Samuel P. Menefee "Samuel Pyeatt Menefee" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jacques Cousteau:Champion Of (Earthkeepers Series) (Library Binding)

Larry Raymond's illustrations are a highlight of this account of Cousteau's life, written for juveniles. Only one of these pictures rings false (at pp. 8-9; what are the chances of three divers being in a position where neither their hands nor feet show?). Reef does make mention of Jacques' brother's collaboration with the Axis powers during World War II, although his relationship with and subsequent marriage to Francine Triplet are ignored. Conshelf I-III are noted, but there are no references to the Cancellation of Conshelf IV and V or the abandoned Argyronete project.

The book occasionally has a tendency to "telescope" events in a way which, while not exactly incorrect, is misleading. Thus Daniel Cousteau's boss, Eugene Higgens, is mentioned, but Daniel's former employer, James Hyde, is not. Similarly, Reef's description of the testing of the aqualung (at p. 29) makes it appear that all this was done in a single day rather than over a longer period of time (see Axel Madsen, Cousteau: An Unauthorized Biography, at pp. 44-45).

Despite Reef's claim that "[o]ne day, Tailliez brought a pair of swimmer's goggles to the beach so they could see more clearly under water" (at p. 24), there is evidence to the contrary. Axel Madsen states that "[p]osterity would fail to ascertain who of the three new friends first brought goggles to the beach that summer" (see p. 21). Finally, it would have been more accurate when discussing Cousteau's film on Conshelf III to note that it debuted on television because of his failure to line up a distributor, as the helium in the Conshelf atmosphere made the voices of the aquanauts too squeaky (see DuTemple's book on Cousteau, at p. 86).