When Otis Barton and Will Beebe descended into the ocean’s depths in their bathysphere on June 6, 1930, they became the first humans to see deep-sea creatures in their natural environment. Barton and Beebe’s adventure inside their cramped invention was a great leap into the unknown—one filled with life-threatening risks.
Caldecott Honor-winning author Barb Rosenstock does a phenomenal job of choosing just the right details to bring this achievement brilliantly to life in Otis and Will Discover the Deep. Katherine Roy’s stunning, detailed illustrations show the marine life these two explorers saw off the coast of Bermuda, with gatefold pages that dramatize their otherworldly descent and endpapers that perfectly highlight the excitement and danger at hand. Completing the package are several pages of historical notes, including one from Library of Congress librarian Connie Carter, who was one of Beebe’s assistants. And don’t miss Roy’s fascinating description of her quest for artistic authenticity, which involved everything from building a digital model of the bathysphere to shooting reference photos.
Just as Barton and Beebe partnered to complete their bathysphere adventures, Rosenstock and Roy’s collaboration presents this story in a vivid, unforgettable way. Open these pages and dive right in!
This article was originally published in the June 2018 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.
