Jacques Cousteau was the world’s ambassador of the oceans. His popular TV series brought whales, otters, and dolphins right into people’...
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Sep 22, 2010
Kathryn
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An enjoyable and informative glimpse into the life of Jacques Cousteau, particularly his inventions for exploring the fantastic world beneath the waves. I especially appreciated the quotes scattered throughout the book so we could hear things in Cousteau's own words.
If one is seeking picture book biographies of Cousteau, this one will inevitably be compared to Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau and I think both are worthy tributes to the subject. The illustrations in "Fant More...
If one is seeking picture book biographies of Cousteau, this one will inevitably be compared to Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau and I think both are worthy tributes to the subject. The illustrations in "Fant More...
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May 01, 2010
Charlyn
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If you're as old as I am, you watched Jacques Cousteau on television and were charmed by this passionate Frenchman. Today's young readers are ignorant of his contributions to our understanding and awareness of the importance of the oceans. Using brightly-colored illustrations and large print, Dan Yaccarino educates today's youth about Cousteau's great love of the sea. Bubbles within the illustrations contain pithy quotations from the oceanographer (and, in my head, they were each read with a
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Oct 17, 2009
Debbie (Readerbuzz)
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My Thoughts:
The text of this book wowed me. I could not stop reading to see what would happen to Cousteau. I liked its simplicity and its clearness. I liked how accessible the text was, even for the youngest of readers.
The illustrations were fun and cartoonish. I didn’t like the colors the Yaccarino used for the water at first, every color except ocean blue, I think, but the colors grew on me, and I grew to love them. I was very surprised how much the children liked this book a More...
The text of this book wowed me. I could not stop reading to see what would happen to Cousteau. I liked its simplicity and its clearness. I liked how accessible the text was, even for the youngest of readers.
The illustrations were fun and cartoonish. I didn’t like the colors the Yaccarino used for the water at first, every color except ocean blue, I think, but the colors grew on me, and I grew to love them. I was very surprised how much the children liked this book a More...
Apr 13, 2009
JustOneMoreBook.com
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Colour drenched, stylized illustrations, carefully selected quotes and simple, informative text open our eyes and imaginations to the creativity, curiosity and commitment of this explorer, inventor, filmmaker extraordinaire.
You can listen in on our chat about this book on our Just One More Book! Children's Book Podcast.
More eye-opening biographies on JOMB:
One Beetle Too Many — The Extraordinary Adventures of Charles Darwin
Marco Polo
Piano Starts He More...
You can listen in on our chat about this book on our Just One More Book! Children's Book Podcast.
More eye-opening biographies on JOMB:
One Beetle Too Many — The Extraordinary Adventures of Charles Darwin
Marco Polo
Piano Starts He More...
Jul 10, 2010
Angie
rated it:
LOVE the old-school artwork. And how fitting that, even before the Gulf oil spill disaster (and even though I disagree with SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many of their choices!), the committee saw fit to honor Jacques Cousteau.
This makes me think of a project I did in elementary school. It was their version of a GT program. We had to "make" filmstrips. (I AM OLD!!!!!!!!!!!) To this day I remember I did mine on the chambered nautilus shell, and along with my narration the s More...
This makes me think of a project I did in elementary school. It was their version of a GT program. We had to "make" filmstrips. (I AM OLD!!!!!!!!!!!) To this day I remember I did mine on the chambered nautilus shell, and along with my narration the s More...
Apr 21, 2010
teresa
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This book is a great little introduction for kids age 3-8 to Jacques Cousteau. I think it is difficult to write a biography picture book and find the right balance between too little information and too much. Too much often is the way writers go and the book bores kids, and parents.
Dan Yaccarino's pictures are incredible and match the mystery and wonder that he is trying to connect to Cousteau and his work. I checked the book out from the library but I will probably buy our own More...
Dan Yaccarino's pictures are incredible and match the mystery and wonder that he is trying to connect to Cousteau and his work. I checked the book out from the library but I will probably buy our own More...
Sep 21, 2010
Theresa
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ISBN-978-0-375-85573-3 c2009
This is a beautiful book to share with children about this outstanding person. It is nicely illustrated with gorgeous end pages of ocean animals that students can try to identify. The great important events of Cousteau's life are expertly told in an easy to understand way. Students will love the size of the book and the illustrations. Another special feature of this book is that quotes are included on each page of Jacques and students will be able to see and u More...
This is a beautiful book to share with children about this outstanding person. It is nicely illustrated with gorgeous end pages of ocean animals that students can try to identify. The great important events of Cousteau's life are expertly told in an easy to understand way. Students will love the size of the book and the illustrations. Another special feature of this book is that quotes are included on each page of Jacques and students will be able to see and u More...
Jun 20, 2011
Abigail
rated it: 
An engaging picture-book biography of the famous French scientist, inventor, explorer, and pioneering underwater film-maker, Dan Yaccarino's The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau has the kind of bold cover-art that will immediately draw the young reader in. With black and white panels, a stylishly elongated Cousteau, and a title in colorful type, the cover mirrors the excitement within, as Cousteau's eventful life - his many discoveries, inventions and honors - is set out in a simple,
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Oct 01, 2009
Anna
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I admit, I picked up this book at the library because I thought it might be a bit funny. After all, Jacques Cousteau was not much of a hero in my eyes. However, I was delightfully surprised. My son really likes non-fiction books so I often have to insist that we also pick out story books. He was willing to read this given his current obsession with sea creatures. I particularly liked learning about Cousteau's life. The illustrations are great and I also liked having Cousteau's quotes scattered a
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Jul 08, 2011
Matthew
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I know that this book competes directly with Manfish, but I'd say that there is room for both and that one can feed off of the other. This is good biography full of anecdotal information and fun facts. I'd love to know more about the underwater living modules that they tested. It sounds so futuristic and yet this book is the first place that I've read anything about it. Jacques Cousteau is such a cool guy. I find it hard to believe that anyone wouldn't be fascinated by a person like him.
Mar 26, 2011
Robin
rated it:
Simple text makes this book accessible for young listeners. Quotes from Cousteau really enhance the book -- so inspiring. Yaccarino's illustrations are bold and VERY colorful. Cousteau developed gear so that he could dive underwater (the Aqualung) and take pictures underwater (if he wanted to do something, he found a way). He seemed to have a deep desire to share his discoveries -- and so his name because almost synonymous with the sea. A great introduction to a truly remarkable person.
Dec 10, 2011
Kellee
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Reviewed at: http://www.teachmentortexts.com/2011/11/...
Summary: Jacques Cousteau was a sickly young boy who found strength in the sea and he never wanted to leave it. It was Jacques goal in life to learn as much as he could about the wonderful undersea world.
What I Think:I had no idea! I've heard Jacques Cousteau's name my whole life, but never really learned who he was or what he did. Wow! He is someone that should be celebrated by all! I am in awe of the man that I just l More...
Summary: Jacques Cousteau was a sickly young boy who found strength in the sea and he never wanted to leave it. It was Jacques goal in life to learn as much as he could about the wonderful undersea world.
What I Think:I had no idea! I've heard Jacques Cousteau's name my whole life, but never really learned who he was or what he did. Wow! He is someone that should be celebrated by all! I am in awe of the man that I just l More...
Jul 14, 2011
Laura
rated it:
I loved the beautiful and colorful artwork in this nonfiction work about Jacques Cousteau. The story begins with Cousteau's childhood and his discovery of underwater life. The story goes on to explain how he invented SCUBA and explored ocean life. The text is very child-friendly and would work well for students in grades 2 - 4. I loved the Cousteau quotes that were sprinkled throughout the book but I wish that the font was larger and the bubbles more prominent.
Jan 13, 2010
The Reading Countess
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This was a new biography that my librarian allowed me to preview before she put it on the shelves. I'm glad she did, since I really liked it and read it aloud to my students. Most of them had never heard of this great man, and it saddened me. They were fascinated that he invented so many of the tools of underwater sea exploration that we now take for granted. I used this book to talk about life lessons applied to our own lives (we call this the SO-WHAT in our class).
Oct 05, 2010
Yeimy
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The genre of jacques cousteau is biography because people can explore ther life underwater.When jacques cousteau were little he saved money to by a camara to make a movie underwater My granfather explore the underwater sea his hole life.Why did jacques cousteau spend his hole life exploring the ocean?When I went to the beach I liked to explore underwater.Ilike to recomend this book to all the childre that like water and fishes and all does underwater fish.
Oct 20, 2010
Ann
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This is another great book with insights into the life of Jacques Cousteau! Previously I had read Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau which I also thoroughly enjoyed! I think my sister put it best when she said that "Manfish" gives more information on Cousteau's younger life, and this book gives more information on his young adult/early adult years. Personally, I enjoyed the illustrations in "Manfish" a little more (a tad more realistic) but that is purely personal and I
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Jul 22, 2010
Evan
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Excellent kids' book -- lushly illustrated by the author -- about one of my heroes, Jacques Yves Cousteau, the world's primary public consciousness raiser about respect and proper stewardship of the oceans. His record was not flawless, but he was a pioneer, and since this is a kids' book the treatment is simple hagiography. And that's OK; the highlights are hit nicely, and snippets of Cousteau quotes mainly about curiosity are peppered on the lovely spreads. Read this in a few minutes.
Aug 31, 2009
Jamie
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I love the illustrations in this book, especially how Yaccarino distinguishes between the surface world and the underwater world using color and abstraction. It's also neat that he punctuates each detail of Cousteau's life with a pertinent quote from the man himself. The timeline in the back adds to the educational value, and makes me want to go find out if there is a book about Cousteau's time as a spy in the French Resistance. Who knew?
Apr 18, 2011
Eileen
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Jacques Cousteau shares his love for the ocean by designing equipment to enhance exploration and cameras to document the adventures. He educates the world. This biography will inspire readers to persevere through difficult situations, follow dreams with passion, and share your passion with the world. "When one man, for whatever reason, has the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life, he has no right to keep it to himself."
Sep 29, 2010
Diana
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Jacques was aweak little boy . His only way to get strength is swiming . He wanted to share the beutiful world of the sea.he made a movie about the sea himself. This is a biography book about the sea.I have shema is that i love the sea so much as Jaques. Why does Jaques love the sea so much ? What i want to remember is him taking pictures of all the differente animals .I will recomed this book to some one who like the sea so much as Jaques
Feb 13, 2011
Lili
rated it:
This book was amazing. It had awesome pics in it and it's really easy to read because it only takes one day. In such a short book it can tell you a lot about him. Here's a fact, Jacques got in a car accident but never gave up his under water life. He swam, explored the under world, and designed a new snorkeling suite. Wow is he good. That's good for someone who had a hard child life.
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Oct 07, 2010
Katherine
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This wonderful biography is perfect for all ages.I say this book was about a little boy who loved the ocean,he got his energy from the water
so he dicited when he grew up he dicited to be a undersea explorer and he discovered the whole sea.What I want to remember is when he challenged all his challenges and followed his dream.I questioned my self,Why did he loved the ocean so much?
so he dicited when he grew up he dicited to be a undersea explorer and he discovered the whole sea.What I want to remember is when he challenged all his challenges and followed his dream.I questioned my self,Why did he loved the ocean so much?
Oct 06, 2010
Magaly
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This book is biography because is real and because the author (Dan Yaccarino) wrote about it. This amaizing book is about a man called "Jacques Cousteau". In the book it said that Jacques bought a camera and he went under water to make a movie about animals. I want to recomend this book to people that love the ocean. I love this book because I love some animals from the ocean.
Sep 29, 2010
Denis
rated it: 
This book for me is okay is because don't like Biography books that mutch that is why.This book is about the life of Jacques Cousteau
and sens he was a little kid he like the undersea and when he is an adoult.I got a little schema because Ilike the undersea animals.Why he likes the undersea?I wan't to remember is that we always gomma like the undersea.
and sens he was a little kid he like the undersea and when he is an adoult.I got a little schema because Ilike the undersea animals.Why he likes the undersea?I wan't to remember is that we always gomma like the undersea.
Oct 15, 2010
Tai
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jacques Cousteas is a autoniography book, because it talks about jacques Cousteas under water.My schama to this book is when my friend went under water.I wonder why Jacques Coustes lived under water.I want to remeber in this book is when he showed the people the diffrint fish.I would recommend this book to my family,because it is awsome!!
Oct 05, 2010
Walter
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The book im reading is called Jacques Cousteau. Its genre is biogrophy.Its about a guy that that studied the ocean. It reminds me of the time I went to the beach. Have you ever gone to the beach? I want to remember when this xplorer broke his arms and got better by swiming.I recomend this book the people that like the ocean and like biography.
Sep 24, 2010
Franklini.
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This book is fantastic the gener of this book isBIOGRPHI.Becouse tha could happen but the charaters ore maed up.My scema is tha i love the oceon. My question is tha Why does he want to see the oceon?What i want to remenber is went he is teicin picture to the animals in the oceon.Irecomend this book to the people tha explro the oceon and the animals.
Oct 06, 2010
Mya.s
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the gerne of this book is biogrphy because he is a true person and i love this book. my quick retelling is when they said he had to get because he was really sick he also is weak.what I want to remeamber is that when they said that he has his own tv show.I want to recommed thi book to xavier because we have lots of fun.
Oct 05, 2010
Treyr
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This is about a man who loved the sea. The genre of this book is Biography. My connection to this book is fish and I see all kinds of fish. I wonder how he can build a underwater lab? I want to remember he invinted the diving saucer and sea flea all by himself. I'll recommend this book to my brother because Seth likes to fish.
Oct 01, 2010
Lesley
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This book is autobiagraphy book.This book is about the life of Jacques Cousteau.This book reminds me when I went to the pool with my cousins.I like this book ,if you readed,will you liked? What I want to remember is that he liked the ocean a lot. I recomment this book to everyone who wants to swim in the ocean.
