Else B. In the Sea Virtual Book Tour, Review, and Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK

Else B. in the Sea: The Woman Who Painted the Wonders of the Deep
Written by Jeanne Walker Harvey
Illustrated by Melodie Stacey
Ages 5-7 | 32 Pages
Publisher: Cameron Kids/ Abrams Books | ISBN-13: 9781949480283

Publisher’s Book Summary: A poetic picture book biography about a daring and pioneering woman artist that combines themes of art and science. A perfect STEAM book!

Else Bostelmann donned a red swimsuit and a copper diving helmet and, with paints and brushes in hand, descended into the choppy turquoise sea off the coast of Bermuda. It was 1930, and few had ventured deep into the sea before. She discovered a fairyland six fathoms below the surface—fantastic coral castles, glittering sunbeams, swaying sea plumes, and slender purple sea fans. And fish! Flashy silverfish, puckering blue parrotfish, iridescent jellyfish. Else painted under the sea! She painted what she saw with her own eyes.

Back on land, Else painted the never-before-seen deep-sea creatures described by world-renowned scientist William Beebe on his momentous 1930s bathysphere expeditions for the New York Zoological Society’s Department of Tropical Research. It was a daring and glamorous adventure and a dream come true for Else B., who shared this new, unfathomable world with humankind.

Available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.org.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeanne Walker Harvey is the author of many award-winning picture books, including Boats on the Bay, as well as the well-received picture book biographies Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas and Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines. She lives in Sonoma, California.

For more information, visit the author's website, Instagram, Twitter and/or Pinterest. 


ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Melodie Stacey is a fine artist and illustrator whose work can be found in the picture book Beautiful Useful Things. She lives in Brighton, United Kingdom.


BOOK REVIEW

In this picture book biography, Else Bostelmann dons a copper diving helmet to look at under-the-sea life and paint about it. This book teaches kids about science and art through a biography. I like that this book teaches kids about so many different things within one picture book. Readers will learn that scientists used artists to observe and draw animal life that they couldn't take pictures of. Readers will also learn that science and art can work cohesively. I also really like that this book shows a strong female role model for young girls. The storytelling in this book is excellent and tells a biography in a creative way that kids will find enjoyable and interesting. I could see this book used in a home or school setting. It's very versatile for a school setting in that it could be used to teach kid's biography, art, or science. The art for the book is done in the style of Else Bostelmann and kids can learn about the techniques that she used and her artistic style. I would recommend this book for young readers. I can't wait to see what the author does next.

GIVEAWAY

Enter the giveaway for a chance to win a signed copy of Else B. in the Sea: The Woman Who Painted the Wonders of the Deep! Prizes include a class set of 30 books, swag like an Else Bostelman painting on a bookbag and notebook, stickers, and signed/customized bookplates.

Else B. in the Sea: Book Giveaway

This post is sponsored by Jeanne Walker Harvey. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal view. Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to share my opinion. This post contains an affiliate link.