Description

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The suspenseful, little-known true story of two determined pioneers who made the first dive into the deep ocean.

On June 6, 1930, engineer Otis Barton and explorer Will Beebe dove into the ocean inside a hollow metal ball of their own invention called the Bathysphere.

They knew dozens of things might go wrong. A tiny leak could shoot pressurized water straight through the men like bullets! A single spark could cause their oxygen tanks to explode! No one had ever dived lower than a few hundred feet...and come back. But Otis and Will were determined to become the first people to see what the deep ocean looks like.

This suspenseful story from acclaimed author Barb Rosenstock with mesmerizing watercolors by award-winning artist Katherine Roy will put you right in the middle of the spine-tingling, record-setting journey down, down into the deep.

About the Author

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Barb Rosenstock is the author of Otis and Will Discover the Deep, the Caldecott Honor book The Noisy Paintbox, Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library, The Camping Trip that Changed America, and several others that have received numerous accolades and starred reviews. She lives in Illinois with her husband, sons, and two big poodles.

Praise For…

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A Bank Street College Best Children's Book of 2018

An ALA Children's Notables List Selection 2019

A National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and Children's Book Council (CBC) Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12
A National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Best STEM Book

A Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Selection 2019

Green Earth Book Award Longlist 2019

CCBC Choices 2019

A National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Orbis Pictus Recommended Book
A New York Public Library (NYPL) Best Book for Kids
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2018

A 2018 BCCB Bulletin Blue Ribbon Title


* "Rosenstock's masterful pacing as the tank is submerged leaves us nearly breathless.... Roy's fluid watercolors and dramatic perspectives capture the heart-pounding emotion of the scientists' dangerous journey."
—Horn Book, starred review

* "[A] tribute to the power of curiosity, imagination, and ambition."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "This is a true science adventure story...an outstanding work of nonfiction."
—School Library Journal, starred review

* "This is a true adventure tale par excellence, tautly plotted, nail-bitingly told, and splendidly illuminated in the illustrations by Roy, from the detailed tinkering on deck, to the claustrophobic innards of the Bathysphere, to the exotic never-before-seen life forms that crossed the searchlight."—BCCB, starred review

* "The text brings in all the excitement and fear of the preparations and the dive itself. The illustrations...go perfectly with the text in conveying the anticipation of the dive, the darkness as they go deeper, and the fear as some unexpected things happen.... This would be an excellent book for read aloud."—School Library Connection, starred review

"Rosenstock and Roy's collaboration celebrates scientific teamwork and an exciting first in deep-sea exploration."
—Kirkus Reviews

"A book worth discovering.... A remarkable first that young readers will want to explore."—Travis Jonker, 100 Scope Notes

"A little-known true story...[with] engaging watercolor illustrations."—The Washington Post

"Meticulous research underpins everything with fascinating detail and sometimes terrifying drama, inextricably intertwined in this tribute to STEM, teamwork, and the 'last frontier on earth.'"
—The San Francisco Chronicle

"A repeated refrain of 'down, down, down' and ever-darkening backgrounds punctuated by moments of gasp-inducing mishaps ratchet up the tension, but when they finally make it to 800 feet below the ocean surface, it's all worth it for the view of glowing, alien creatures, which Roy powerfully depicts in a swirling, dusky double-gatefold spread."
—Booklist

"This exciting, suspenseful account of the Bathysphere's first deep-ocean dive vividly conveys the thrill of scientific discovery and celebrates the passion and drive of the diving tank's two creators."—Common Sense Media