Bibliography:
Jenkins, Steve. Down Down Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea. 2009. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN 9780618966363
Plot Summary:
Ocean's cover more than two-thirds of the earth's surface, and yet humans have explored very little of this. Jenkins takes us from just above the surface of the ocean down to its extreme bottom. The oceans average two and a half miles in depth and are home to the vast majority of living things on our planet. From the well known Great White Shark, Green Sea Turtle, and Manta Ray that live closer to the surface to the lesser known Siphonophore, Fangtooth, and Hagfish that live deeper down, Jenkins highlights a wide array of sea creatures. At the end of the book, Jenkins describes the animals in more depth and presents diagrams that show their size compared to an adult's body or hand.
Ocean's cover more than two-thirds of the earth's surface, and yet humans have explored very little of this. Jenkins takes us from just above the surface of the ocean down to its extreme bottom. The oceans average two and a half miles in depth and are home to the vast majority of living things on our planet. From the well known Great White Shark, Green Sea Turtle, and Manta Ray that live closer to the surface to the lesser known Siphonophore, Fangtooth, and Hagfish that live deeper down, Jenkins highlights a wide array of sea creatures. At the end of the book, Jenkins describes the animals in more depth and presents diagrams that show their size compared to an adult's body or hand.
Critical Analysis:
Everything about Down, down, down by Steve Jenkins is great! From accuracy, to organization, to design and style, this book has it all. Jenkins uses the depth of the ocean to organize the book, going down, down, down with every page. While the reader may be familiar with some of the creatures pictured and described, most are obscure, unheard of, and completely fascinating. For example, have you ever heard of the male hairy angler who uses his teeth to attach himself to the side of the much larger female hairy angler? Jenkins explains: "Soon his body will fuse to hers. There he will remain, living off the female's body, for the rest of his life." In addition to all of the new and interesting facts, Jenkins' cut and torn paper collage illustrations are fabulous. They are unique, accurate, and colorful. As a whole, this book is attractive, inviting, and readable, something many of today's children's nonfiction books lack.
Everything about Down, down, down by Steve Jenkins is great! From accuracy, to organization, to design and style, this book has it all. Jenkins uses the depth of the ocean to organize the book, going down, down, down with every page. While the reader may be familiar with some of the creatures pictured and described, most are obscure, unheard of, and completely fascinating. For example, have you ever heard of the male hairy angler who uses his teeth to attach himself to the side of the much larger female hairy angler? Jenkins explains: "Soon his body will fuse to hers. There he will remain, living off the female's body, for the rest of his life." In addition to all of the new and interesting facts, Jenkins' cut and torn paper collage illustrations are fabulous. They are unique, accurate, and colorful. As a whole, this book is attractive, inviting, and readable, something many of today's children's nonfiction books lack.
Review Excerpt(s):
Booklist: "Thorough endnotes give greater detail on each of the featured creatures and help make this a most welcome introduction to the sometimes-surprising world of marine biology."
Kirkus Reviews: "His signature cut-paper illustrations show more than 50 creatures, from the albatross in the air to the flatfish living at the bottom of the Mariana Trench."
New York Times: "Through the almost magical use of cut paper, Jenkins takes the reader on a voyage from the surface to the sunlit shallows to the very bottom of the sea."
School Library Journal: "The bold views tend to emphasize the weirdness of these little-known species, but the repeated message that humans have much to explore and learn in the deeper ocean is intriguing and inviting."
Connections:
Read more of Steve Jenkins nonfiction such as Actual Size, Dogs and Cats, Living Color, or Sisters and Brothers: Sibling Relationships in the Animal World. All of the illustrations are in the same beautiful collage style made of cut and torn paper.
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