Jenkins, Steve. 2009. Down, Down, Down: a journey to the bottom of the sea. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN 9780618966363.
2. Plot Summary
This journey to the bottom of the sea is created by a well-known and respected author in the field of nonfiction books for children. Jenkins provides a story of facts about the creatures you will find from right above the sea all the way to the deepest spot in the ocean. The book starts out just above the surface and Jenkins discusses a variety of things including sights, sounds, and animals as you dive deeper into the ocean. Throughout you will find a variety of animals and tidbits of information about their survival. The last pages are more in-depth descriptions of each animal that is mentioned on each page.
3. Critical Analysis
Jenkins creates a credible and informative story that would be appropriate for children in kindergarten and up. The author’s reputation in children’s nonfiction creates a feeling or comfort with the accuracy in the story and his bibliography instills even more confidence in the information. The organization of the book is creative and logical. Jenkins begins just above the surface and explores further and further down with each subtitled page. Along the right side of the page, readers can follow the level of depth in the sea they are exploring. The end of the book is supported with detailed descriptions of each animal including a comparison of the size of the creature and the human body.
The design and organization of this book is logical and inviting. Readers are introduced to creatures of the sea but are not overwhelmed with information on each page. The animal illustrations are unique yet accurate and some are even described based upon their relationship to the depth and darkness of the ocean. The white text is easy to read and compliments the dark blues and black backgrounds. The text is not only appropriately colored but the writing, placement and vocabulary is exactly what I would expect out of this type of book. Jenkins does not hold back with factual information but maintains vocabulary appropriate for the recommended age group for the book. Children will be drawn into the collage illustrations and depth measurements along the right side of the page. All of the bright and accurate images pop on the page just as they would if you could see this deep in the ocean.
4. Award & Review Excerpts
American Library Association Notable Books for Children Award Winner
“Sophisticated cut- and torn-paper collage-work fit the alien qualities of the subjects well; it's equally at home capturing the tiered needlepoints of lizardfish teeth as it is delivering an impressive and illuminating display of bioluminescence.” -- Booklist Review
“Usually three or four animals-whales, fish, worms, and more-are featured. Sometimes colorful or luminescent and often toothy, they are both familiar and strange. In some views, the animals are relative in size, but in others, those that are actually quite different in scale appear to be similar.” -- School Library Journal Review
“A must for any geography or natural history collection, this will be a great preparation for an aquarium visit or any discussion of ecology. More than that, however, it manages to convey the fact that most of our world is very, very different from what we experience, and that there may be nothing so strange and wonderful as our own planetary home.” -- The Bulletin Starred Review
5. Connections
- Invite students to read this story before a trip to the aquarium or discussion about the deep sea and it’s creatures.
- Other books by Steve Jenkins:
- Jenkins, Steve. Actual Size. 2004. Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0618375945
- Jenkins, Steve. Wiggling Worms at Work. HarperCollins. ISBN 006028448X
- Jenkins, Steve and Robin Page. Move!. Ill. by Steve Jenkins. Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 061864637X
- Related books about the sea:
- Berger, Melvin. Dive! a book of deep sea creatures. 2000. Scholastic. ISBN 0439087473
- Jenkins, Steve. Into the A, B, Sea: an ocean alphabet. 2000. Scholastic Press. ISBN 0439096960
- Neubecker, Robert. Wow! Ocean! 2011. Disney/Hyperion Books. ISBN 9781423131137
- Phillips, Gary R. and Jennifer Kramer. Ocean Hide and Seek. 2009. Sylvan Dell. ISBN 9781934359914
