A reader recently asked me for recommendations for books about the deep appropriate for children. Here is my running list and we’ll have Peter (who actually has child instead of being one) provide some recommendations in a later post.
- One of my favorites is The Deep-Sea Floor by Collard. Great text that is accessible for even young children. The wonderful illustrations by Wenzel help to children visualize the environment. I often hand this out as a gift. Collard also has In the Deep Sea, that I have not seen but should be has excellent as his other.
- Another fantastic book is Diving To A Deep-Sea Volcano by Mallory. It has great photographs and follows Richard Lutz, a deep-sea biologist, as he explores hydrothermal vents. What I think is best about this book is the enthusiasm in which “doing” science is conveyed.
- Although I have not seen an actual copies, Fountains of Life and Exploring the Deep, Dark Sea are supposed to be a fantastic books
- Beneath Blue Waters by Kovacs and Madin has excellent photographs several of organisms not yet named
Verena Tunnicliffe also wrote a children’s book about a spider crab that lives at hydrothermal vents called Kira’s Undersea Garden. You can see it on amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Kiras-Undersea-Garden-Verena-Tunnicliffe/dp/1412014999/sr=1-1/qid=1170105146/ref=sr_1_1/103-8346366-2420603?ie=UTF8&s=books
An entire series of great science books for children has been written by Joanna Cole and illustrated by Bruce Degan. Look for “The Magic School Bus- blah, blah”. The “blah, blah” includes the Ocean Floor, the Human Body, the Solar System, the Time of Dinosaurs, etc. What I particularily appreciated about this series is that it is great for multiple age levels. There is a simple story line, that a savvy preschooler could follow, but bordering each page were random geeky facts and experiments that could keep older kids and parents amused. (OK, but keep in mind we are comparing the level of entertainment to “The Little Engine that Could”, not Deep Sea Blogs). http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/0590414313/ref=cm_cr_dp_pt/104-0792329-9886364?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books
Thanks. I will check these out for my students.