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Manfish: A Story Of Jacques Cousteau (2008)

by Jennifer Berne(Favorite Author)

4.09 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0811860639 (ISBN13: 9780811860635)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Chronicle Books

review 1: Thanks to Carrie Gelson (where There’sABookforThat.com gives me many terrific recommendations), I discovered this book that’s been out for a few years, and belongs in the group of terrific picture book biographies that all should be aware of. I grew up watching Jacques Cousteau’s amazing documentaries on television, and although I was born by the ocean, we moved to land-locked Missouri before I could really experience it. It was a long time before I really “saw” the ocean, so Cousteau’s work inspired a love that I couldn’t find elsewhere. I loved the story of his constant curiosity for how things worked. Fascinated by machines, he built things, took things apart, and then discovered movie cameras! Eventually, Cousteau discovered the mystery and beauty of t... morehe ocean, thus beginning the lifelong passion we know of today. Eric Puybaret’s illustrations show that beauty too, and trace Cousteau’s growing up from his wish to fly (showing him pretending to ‘fly’ as he swam in the ocean), to his desire to breathe underwater (he invented the ‘aqualung’), and finally to buying an old warship which he christened the Calypso, and his many voyages of discovery which he so generously shared with millions. It’s a book that will delight, and there are many YouTube videos that are available online from the Cousteau films.
review 2: Some lovely poetic language ('silvery beads of breath' and 'laughing bubbles into the sea') and a book with facts. However, the author leans toward poetry and away from science. Illustrations didn't support the text as well as they could; there were descriptions of sea creatures surrounded by illustrations of unrelated or slightly off creatures. The writing was less than rigorous. When he donned his aqualung he didn't actually get to feel what only scales had felt. Still, overall good book. less

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