The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau

A lovely introduction to the life and works of Cousteau, with gorgeous and evocative illustrations.

My Thoughts:
The text of this book wowed me. I could not stop reading to see what would happen to Cousteau. I liked its simplicity and its clearness. I liked how accessible the text was, even for the youngest of readers.

The illustrations were fun and cartoonish. I didn't like the colors the Yaccarino used for the water at first, every color except ocean blue, I think, but the colors grew on me, and I grew to love them. I was very surprised how much the children liked this book and how much they were interested in this man's life.

The book also included a table of Cousteau's life and sources for further study.

A Sample:
“The fish off the coast of Africa were friendly and curious and did not swim away. Cousteau was the first human being they had ever seen.”
Children's Comments:
Alexis, 6, said, “I liked how he went down in the ocean.”
Vanessa, 6, said, “I liked how he made a camera all by himself.”
Jony, 6, said, “I liked how he saw the seahorse.”
Melanie, 6, said, “I liked when he went down in the ocean.”
Tabitha, 7, said, “I liked how he was on tv.”
Joey, 6, said, “I liked how he got sick and had to go under the water.”

Children's Ratings: 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5