The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 4—Yaccarino deftly provides information about important events in Cousteau's life while conveying the excitement and wonder that the ocean explorer experienced. Readers learn about his tinkering that resulted in inventions such as the Aqua-Lung and submersibles that expanded the range of undersea exploration and research. Then Cousteau shared his discoveries through films, books, and television, encouraging others to value and protect the oceans from environmental degradation. Effective layout and page design plus colorful gouache illustrations result in a striking visual presentation for small-group sharing or individual viewing. Brief quotations from Cousteau appear in insets on some pages; there is no documentation of Yaccarino's own research. Jennifer Berne's Manfish (Chronicle, 2008) uses more poetic language and features softer, more aquatic colors in the illustrations. Even libraries with that biography will want to add Yaccarino's book to the shelves.—Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato
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From Booklist

Yaccarino is best known for his whimsical animal characters, including some, such as Oswald the octopus, who now star in their own television series. Here he switches focus to a real-world, human hero: famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau. The brief, evenly paced text, which includes a few direct quotes, describes Cousteau’s lifelong fascination with the sea, filmmaking, and invention, beginning with depictions of the scientist as a young boy, tinkering with cameras and swimming in the ocean to recover from chronic illness. Rendered in gouache and airbrush, the playful illustrations evoke popular mid-twentieth-century patterns and shades—a fitting reference to Cousteau’s professional heyday. A few scenes seem to emphasize design over realistic depictions: undersea vessels, in particular, are indistinct shapes, and Cousteau himself often appears as a stylized figure. The fanciful, textured images give a sense of the sea’s infinite swirl of life, though, and they are further grounded by the solid, straightforward words. Pair this energetic, inspiring biography with Jennifer Berne’s Manfish (2008), another picture-book view of Cousteau’s life and work. Grades K-3. --Gillian Engberg

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (March 24, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375855734
• ISBN-13: 978-0375855733
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 9.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #190,134 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #61 in	Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Nature > Water
  #71 in	Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Nature > Environment > Nonfiction
  #87 in	Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Biographies > Science & Technology

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect choice for newcomers to biography, May 18, 2009

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

There are adult coverages of explorer Jacques Cousteau's life, so it's refreshing to find a child's picturebook version that covers Cousteau and his team's inventions, pursuits, and contributions. Oversized, artistic drawings accompany the simple survey of Cousteau's life and motivation for exploring the sea, making for a perfect choice for newcomers to biography.

5.0 out of 5 stars "We are human beings, and we have faith, and we have hope"., October 14, 2009

By	Ana Braga-Henebry (Rural South Dakota) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Like many parents our age, I grew up with Jacques Cousteau, the Frenchman who brought the life below the water level to everyone's homes via TV and films. Here is a colorful, friendly picture book about his life and accomplishments. Curious episodes of his life and his conservation efforts are explained in simple language. Also, beautiful, direct quotes from him are found throughout the colorful book, such as:

If we were logical, the future would be bleak indeed. But we are more than logical. We are human beings, and we have faith, and we have hope.

The art is reminiscent of illustrations from the 60s and very pleasant. We read this aloud and some of the facts of his life listed on the last page. We also found plenty on You Tube including longer films of his adventures on his ship, the Calypso.

5.0 out of 5 stars Reviewed by Carolina Mora's First grade class William Land Elementary & Ms. Axford's Third grade class Villalovoz Elementary, June 10, 2009

By	Sacramento Book Review "SacramentoBookReview.com" (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews

The first grade students found this book to be just "ok" and too long. They were able to relate to the part about taking care of the oceans, because we had just celebrated Earth Day the day before. This book created a lot of question about pollution. Students wanted to know why we couldn't just clean up the oceans like we can clean up the school yard. We began discussions on water pollution. This is a great book for students to read with an adult, because it created some real life conversations, but it was not very exciting.

Reviewed by Carolina Mora's
First grade class
William Land Elementary, Sacramento



Jacques Cousteau is a name that my generation became quite familiar with. The children of this generation are less familiar with this famous man of the sea. It was delightful to read this short, kid friendly biography on his life. The students loved the book and the colorful pictures of the ocean and sea life. The story begins in his childhood, and we learned about his curiosity and ingenuity. The students also learned about some of the obstacles he faced as a youngster and what helped him overcome these challenges.

This book would be a good read for any child who loves the sea or dreams of pursuing faraway adventures. It also will inspire the reader to never give up on one's dreams. Some of the vocabulary words were a little challenging for English language learners; however, we found the story enjoyable and entertaining.

Reviewed by Ms. Axford's
Third grade class
Villalovoz Elementary, Tracy