Else B. in the Sea: The Woman Who Painted the Wonders of the Deep

This post is sponsored by Jeanne Walker Harvey and hosted by The Children’s Book Review. Learn more about the book, the author, illustrator and my thoughts.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Else B. in the Sea: The Woman Who Painted the Wonders of the Deep

Written by Jeanne Walker Harvey

Illustrated by Melodie Stacey

Ages 5-7 | 32 Pages

Publisher: Cameron Kids/Abrams Books | ISBN-13: 9781949480283

Publisher’s Book Summary: A poetic picture book biography about a daring and pioneering woman artist that combines themes of art and science. A perfect STEAM book!

Else Bostelmann donned a red swimsuit and a copper diving helmet and, with paints and brushes in hand, descended into the choppy turquoise sea off the coast of Bermuda. It was 1930, and few had ventured deep into the sea before. She discovered a fairyland six fathoms below the surface—fantastic coral castles, glittering sunbeams, swaying sea plumes, and slender purple sea fans. And fish! Flashy silverfish, puckering blue parrotfish, iridescent jellyfish. Else painted under the sea! She painted what she saw with her own eyes.

Back on land, Else painted the never-before-seen deep-sea creatures described by world-renowned scientist William Beebe on his momentous 1930s bathysphere expeditions for the New York Zoological Society’s Department of Tropical Research. It was a daring and glamorous adventure and a dream come true for Else B., who shared this new, unfathomable world with humankind.

MY THOUGHTS

Else B. in the Sea: The Woman Who Painted the Wonders of the Deep is an amazing picture book biography. This biography charts how Else B., a classically trained artist, embarks on a courageous journey from America to Bermuda to attempt to make her dream come true.

She was probably prompted by the findings of William Beebe, an oceanographer who created a bathysphere in order to descend into the depths of the sea to observe the wonders of sea and plant life.

With just a diving helmet, an air hose, a bathing suit, and art supplies, Else B. descended six 6-foot-tall persons (6 fathoms) into the sea to encounter all the beautiful colors.

What I Liked

The entire book was painted as an homage to Else B.
Else B.’s artistic eye and attention to details
Her courage, persistence, and problem-solving
This is 1930 when women’s opinions were not counted as much, but their dreams and desires were more important.
The information the book provides is a lot, but not overwhelmingly so. The parent will learn something as well as the child.

What Gave Me Pause

Not a thing

Key Takeaways

Achieving our dreams may take courage, stepping outside the norm, and a few failures. That is just an incentive to persevere. There’s a scripture that says that perseverance in the face of difficulties strengthens our faith. Believe in your dream and go after it.

My Recommendation

This is the perfect science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) book for PreK- 3 classrooms.

Disclosure

I received a complimentary copy of Else B. in the Sea: The Woman Who Painted the Wonders of the Deep. This review was written voluntarily.

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Bookshop.org

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeanne Walker Harvey is the author of many award-winning picture books, including Boats on the Bay, as well as the well-received picture book biographies Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas and Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines. She lives in Sonoma, California.

For more information, visit https://www.jeanneharvey.com

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Melodie Stacey is a fine artist and illustrator whose work can be found in the picture book Beautiful Useful Things. She lives in Brighton, United Kingdom.