Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Jenkins, Steve. 2009. Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea. New York, N.Y.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Co.: ISBN 9780618966363

PLOT SUMMARY

A delightfully appealing and informative journey through the multi-levels of the ocean. Jenkins provides scientific data about marine life and the depths of the sea itself, presented in a way that is fun and engaging for all readers. The colorful illustrations of the creatures and organisms are put together in a way helps the reader to visualize the array of life forms described. The detailed index at the end of the book gives a more in-depth description of the marine life detailed in the book. It is an excellent tool to open up a reader’s curiosity to read more on the subject of sea life.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea, Jenkins engages the reader with his thoughtful text and illustrations. Each page contains short summaries about the different levels of the ocean, from the surface, to the deepest point on the planet. It explains about the atmosphere and type of life found at each level. The book contains many text features that enhance the text and allows for better imagery of the material, such as: the depth graph, the sea-life index, and detailed illustrations. The cut-paper collage used for his illustrations are simple, yet thorough in showing the size and details of the different species that live below the surface of the ocean.

The book itself would be very fun and informative for all readers. Although the vocabulary can be difficult, it includes enough included pronunciations and fun illustration to help a younger reader along. This would be a great book for anyone interested in sea life.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

*Booklist review: "In this plunge into the deep, Jenkins displays his usual keen awareness of what is fascinating about biology and imparts it without sensationalism—the facts speak for themselves.

*Starred review in the School Library Journal: “Jenkins introduces some of the animals that inhabit descending layers of water all the way down to the Marianas Trench.”

CONNECTIONS

*Invite students to learn more about similar sea life through related texts:

Collard, Sneed B. III. The Deep Sea Floor. ISBN 978-1570914034

*Another book by Steve Jenkins:

Jenkins, Steve. 2010. BONES: Skeletons and How They Work. ISBN 9780545046510