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35th out of 93 books
—
205 voters
Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle
Sylvia Earle first lost her heart to the ocean as a young girl when she discovered the wonders of the Gulf of Mexico in her backyard. As an adult, she dives even deeper. Whether she’s designing submersibles, swimming with the whales, or taking deep-water walks, Sylvia Earle has dedicated her life to learning more about what she calls “the blue heart of the planet.” With st...more
Hardcover, 32 pages
Published
March 13th 2012
by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
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I think this book hits an awkward spot in terms of recommending it to kids. It doesn't have enough information to satisfy older readers, but the vocabulary and sentence structures would be really challenging for a younger reader. I suppose I'd put it in the 3rd to 5th grade range.
The story is a very basic outline of the life of oceanographer Sylvia Earle, covering briefly her childhood on a farm, her family's move to Florida near the ocean, her love of exploring ocean life, and some of her prof...more
The story is a very basic outline of the life of oceanographer Sylvia Earle, covering briefly her childhood on a farm, her family's move to Florida near the ocean, her love of exploring ocean life, and some of her prof...more
Sylvia Earle first lost her heart to the ocean as a young girl when she discovered the wonders of the Gulf of Mexico in her backyard. As an adult, she dives even deeper. Whether she's designing submersibles, swimming with the whales, or taking deep-water walks, Sylvia Earle has dedicated her life to learning more about what she calls "the blue heart of the planet." With stunningly detailed pictures of the wonders of the sea, Life in the Ocean tells the story of Sylvia's growing passion and how h...more
When I was teaching 2nd-3rd grade with Marianne McWhirter, she read aloud from Eugenie Clark: Shark Lady. I always enjoyed how well-rounded that book was as a biography. Nivola's telling of Sylvia Earle's interest in the ocean provides a strong main character who is a woman scientist. Earle's interests and punctuated moments from her career provide the structure for the book, and go a long way toward humanizing the water so inhospitable to humans.
The painting style was enjoyable, with a breatht...more
The painting style was enjoyable, with a breatht...more
In some respects this picture book biography of Sylvia Earle is as much the story of the ocean as it is a story about the groundbreaking scientist. The author takes readers through Sylvia's early years, growing up on a farm in New Jersey where she was fascinated by the natural world around her, especially in the nearby pond. When the family moved to Florida, she quickly fell in love with the ocean, a passion that provided her with a career and a lifelong focus. The story left me enraptured and s...more
LORD, does every children's book have to make me cry?
Amazing bio of oceanographer, Sylvia Earle. Beautiful illustrations and poetic accounts of her dives and life in the sea.
"into our ocean, all around the world, we have dumped lethal nuclear waste, industrial waste, pollutants from underwater mining, and just plain garbage. We abandon sunken ships and allow our highways, farms, fields, and yards to leach fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals into freshwater systems leading to coastal w...more
Amazing bio of oceanographer, Sylvia Earle. Beautiful illustrations and poetic accounts of her dives and life in the sea.
"into our ocean, all around the world, we have dumped lethal nuclear waste, industrial waste, pollutants from underwater mining, and just plain garbage. We abandon sunken ships and allow our highways, farms, fields, and yards to leach fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals into freshwater systems leading to coastal w...more
Richie’s Picks: LIFE IN THE OCEAN: THE STORY OF OCEANOGRAPHER SYLVIA EARLE by Claire A. Nivola, Farrar Straus Giroux, March 2012, 32p., ISBN: 978-0-374-38068-7
“We would sing and dance around
Because we know we can’t be found
I’d like to be under the sea
In an octopus’s garden in the shade”
Richard Starkey (1969)
“Pictures of whales, says Sylvia, make them look ‘big and fat and ponderous and lumpy…Whales are like swallows…like otters…They move in any direction. They swim upside down. They’re vertical....more
“We would sing and dance around
Because we know we can’t be found
I’d like to be under the sea
In an octopus’s garden in the shade”
Richard Starkey (1969)
“Pictures of whales, says Sylvia, make them look ‘big and fat and ponderous and lumpy…Whales are like swallows…like otters…They move in any direction. They swim upside down. They’re vertical....more
From the beautifully treasured Planting the Trees of Kenya, Claire A. Nivola brings us Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle, a book made to be shared with inquisitive students in classrooms around the world. Nivola chronicles the life of the accomplished ocean explorer, Sylvia Earle, through her delightful pairing of simple, easy-to-understand text and brilliantly detailed illustrations.
In my years of teaching, the magically curious life in the ocean always sparked the inve...more
In my years of teaching, the magically curious life in the ocean always sparked the inve...more
Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle by author/illustrator Claire A. Nivola is a lovely new picture book biography of a pioneer of in the field of ocean studies.
If you have never heard of Sylvia Earle, she is a scientist and conservationist whose goals in life have been to delve deeply into the oceans and learn as much as she can, and then share her passion and knowledge with others. As Nivola quotes in her extensive Author’s Note in the back matter, Earle realizes, “You c...more
If you have never heard of Sylvia Earle, she is a scientist and conservationist whose goals in life have been to delve deeply into the oceans and learn as much as she can, and then share her passion and knowledge with others. As Nivola quotes in her extensive Author’s Note in the back matter, Earle realizes, “You c...more
There are plenty of books on oceanography and explorers, but this book stole my heart with its soft-hued, detailed illustrations and easy-to-understand, inspiring text. Nivola documents Sylvia’s early childhood from growing up on the Gulf Coast, where Sylvia fell in love with the water, to the historic walk along the ocean floor. This book will make you fall in love with the ocean and its beautiful creatures, and inspire kids to follow their passions.
I love Nivola’s use of language. She just doe...more
I love Nivola’s use of language. She just doe...more
Audience: This book is great for primary and intermediate readers. With advanced text and vocabulary this book would be geared more toward 3-5th grade readers.
Appeal: Children of all ages love fish and the mysteries of the ocean, so this book and it's illustrations would appeal to all ages. The text and advanced vocabulary would be more fitting for 3-5th graders, and I think they would really enjoy the story of Sylvia Earle.
Application: I would use this book as an introduction to a unit lesson...more
Appeal: Children of all ages love fish and the mysteries of the ocean, so this book and it's illustrations would appeal to all ages. The text and advanced vocabulary would be more fitting for 3-5th graders, and I think they would really enjoy the story of Sylvia Earle.
Application: I would use this book as an introduction to a unit lesson...more
I have hesitantly put this on my "ESL" shelf. Some problems with this book for ELLs are the reading passages are long and there are a lot of oceanographer type language that may be too difficult. It is also too long for a read aloud. Now that I've bashed in Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle's head, I'll say what I did like. Sylvia Earle grew up on a farm. A place she absolutely loved. She was devastated when her family moved her to Florida, but it was this experience and...more
Making my way through the current Stars So Far list.
Since I know myself fairly well, I am quite certain that if I found myself in the ocean surrounded by massive humpback whales, I would probably lose my shit. However, the way Nivola paraphrases Sylvia Earle's thoughts on these animals, the loveliness makes me wish I would be braver. Narrowly focused on Earle's work in the water, Life in the Ocean is still an inspiring tale of a woman who bucked conventions to be a trailblazer. She was a scienti...more
Since I know myself fairly well, I am quite certain that if I found myself in the ocean surrounded by massive humpback whales, I would probably lose my shit. However, the way Nivola paraphrases Sylvia Earle's thoughts on these animals, the loveliness makes me wish I would be braver. Narrowly focused on Earle's work in the water, Life in the Ocean is still an inspiring tale of a woman who bucked conventions to be a trailblazer. She was a scienti...more
The painting style was enjoyable, with a breathtaking use of watercolor pointillism on some pages. Some of these pages are so filled with small animals and objects that it is easy to get lost in the frame and sit just looking. I wish she had carried this emphasis on the wide horizontal panorama through the entire book. WHen she switches to a new layout with the text down the vertical side, I think it cuts the proportions too closely and the images aren't as inviting. Out of the last three spread...more
This book did a great job of portraying Sylvia Earle's accomplishments, many questions about the ocean, and the threats to our environment. The pictures were beautiful and detailed. It was very interesting, especially if you are like me and love the ocean. I used to want to be a marine biologist and this book made me wish I had continued that dream! It explains all about this woman who has loved working with the ocean since she was a little girl and I really loved how Nivola wrote the book in a...more
PB 18: I found this story to be a captivating biography for children to read because it highlighted Earle’s curiosity and eagerness to explore the world around her. I think it is beneficial for children to get excited about following their interests and feeling confident to do grand things such as exploring the world around them. I felt that the most powerful part of the biography was at the end when the biography told of Earle’s passion for keeping the ocean healthy and habitable. This could po...more
This picture book biography of biologist and oceanographer Sylvia Earle pays homage not only to her life’s work but to the incredible ecosystem of the oceans as well. Sylvia was a biologist even as a child, sitting by the pond at their rural home in New Jersey and observing. When Sylvia was 12, her family moved to Florida where their home was right near the Gulf of Mexico. Sylvia started going to swims with her goggles on and watching these new creatures so different from the pond life in New Je...more
In this picture book biography of the life of Sylvia Earle, the author carefully tells a story of a young girl who was enamored with the diversity of life around her. From her early days in New Jersey to her later life in Florida, where she fell in love with the sea, Sylvia Earle was interested in the life she found and studied. This story tells the story of how Ms. Earle became a very important oceanographer with groundbreaking research and personal experiences with the sea and its inhabitants....more
Sylvia Earle was a biologist and botanist even as a young child. She spent hours on her family farm observing and exploring plant and animal life. However, when her family moved to Florida, Sylvia discovered the Gulf of Mexico and her life changed. This biography introduces children to an amazing women who is an explorer, oceanographer, marine biologist, environmentalist, entrepreneur and National Geographic Consultant. Children in grades 2-5 will be inspired by this amazing woman.
Beginning with a one-page overview of the importance of the world's oceans, this biographical story of Sylvia Earle follows her life from a childhood on a farm in New Jersey, to her teen years at an ocean-side home in Florida, to her career as an oceanography. She was a botanist and biologist before she even knew what that meant, and devoted her life to knowing more about the oceans so that we may all care more about them.
This story is excellently done. The illustrations capture the wonder of t...more
This story is excellently done. The illustrations capture the wonder of t...more
Sep 30, 2012
Melissa
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
nfpb2012,
non-fiction,
biography,
ocean,
nature,
making-a-difference,
caldecott-13,
elem,
accomplishment
Nivola really has a gift for evoking a sense of place with her illustrations. This biography is a celebration of a great scientist's achievement, a love letter to our amazing oceans, an invitation to explore your world and discover what you find fascinating, and a reminder that women are still underrepresented in the sciences. Bibliography, and extensive author's note, but no citations for Earle's words quoted in the text. (My brand-new frustration with picture book non-fiction.)
A picture book biography about oceanographer Sylvia Earle. Text reads like a dream, poetically describing a world below the surface that many of us have yet to explore. An emphasis is placed on information because Earle believes that if people are informed about the creatures who call the ocean their home they will be inspired to protect the ocean from pollutants and harsh chemicals.
An author’s note and selected bibliography follow the story.
An author’s note and selected bibliography follow the story.
This story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle is a wonderful blend of well-researched facts told in an accessible narrative that reads like the best of stories. The illustrations are as wide-ranging as the oceans and her life, enhancing moods, scales, biodiversity, curiosity, and enthusiasm. back matter adds useful (and equally accessible) information, including labeled illustrations of sea creatures and a bibliography.
This beautifully illustrated book makes Earle's life seem dreamy. It's lovely as entertainment, but a bit frustrating as a biography. Dates are not given for many events, and since the narrative jumps around in time, it's a problem. A chronlology in the back would have been helpful. Nivola does use many quotes from Earle, and it's always great when a biography lets its subject speak for herself. Gr. 1-5.
An absolutely beautiful and absorbing biography! This book takes you into the depths of the ocean with Sylvia Earle, an oceanographer whose love of nature began as a child growing up on a farm. When her family moves to Florida, you feel Sylvia's heartache at leaving her home. Yet the wonder of the ocean draws her in and the illustrations let you experience Sylvia's discoveries right along with her.
I really liked this book! I learned new things and that is always a bonus. This would be a great non fiction for an older elementary school project. The pictures are great and detailed it left me wanting to learn more about the ocean. I always like girl power books, Sylvia Earle had an interested and she persuaded it regardless of gender bias. :-D
Interesting biography of another person I had never heard of. Wow! Picture book biographies sure are abundant these days!! Good information. Lovely illustrations (I do see Wangari similarities...), and very interesting author's note. Written in a persuasive tone. Selected bibliography included, but source information not really identified.
This is the story of oceanographer Sylvia Earle, who from an early age, loved to explore the outdoors. When she was twelve, her family moved to Florida, and she discovered the Gulf of Mexico. "It was then, her mother said, that Sylvia 'lost her heart to the water.'" Beautiful illustrations and interesting facts about this amazing woman.
I love to read about scientists and how they got their start. This one tells about Sylvia Earle and how she became and oceanographer. I loved that her interest in the ocean started when her family moved to Florida. I think kids will love it to hear how their interests could persist into adulthood and maybe even help them earn a living!
Does a nice job of highlighting a unique woman, her accomplishments, the wonder of the ocean, and the threats to our environment. The pictures are delicate and detailed and wondrous. I also loved the way Earle spoke of whales as graceful - not heavy or ponderous, but agile and careful and graceful. Lovely job.
This didn't attract me as much as Coral Reefs by Chin did. However, it is similar in the passion felt for the ocean. It points out that in Earle's lifetime, the ocean has been ruthlessly plundered, including 90% of the large fishes. I did enjoy this book but am fading fast tonight!
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