I LOVE the water! I love swimming in it and splashing in it and diving in it. Ocean, lake, river, swimming pool. Water is glorious!!
My Mom Person loves the water as well. When she was a little girl – and even a big girl – she worshiped a French man named Jacques Cousteau. She watched him on TV, she saw him in the movies, she read all his books.
We recently found, at our library!, a picture book biography of Mr Cousteau. The Mom Person was very excited!
The Fantastic Undersea Life of
JACQUES COUSTEAU
by Dan Yaccarino
published by Alfred A. Knopf in 2009
This is a non-fiction book suitable for 1st grade and up
Themes – Jacques Cousteau, oceans, sea life, conservation
It begins –
Jacques Cousteau loved the sea.
He spent his whole life exploring it.
The ocean was the most incredible
place he’d ever seen, and he wanted
to share its beauty with the world.
This book is a great introduction to the life of Mr Cousteau. Mr Yaccarino’s illustrations have the feel of the ocean about them. In 32 pages, he manages to present a life lived large. We learned about the trials Mr Cousteau overcame as a young man. We learned about his creative genius, about his aquatic inventions that enabled him and his followers to explore the depths of the ocean. And we learned about his passion for the sea and all the creatures in the sea. I could feel his passion as we read the book. The book offers up quotations from Mr Cousteau interspersed with the text and the lovely pictures.
“When one man, for whatever reason, has the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life, he has no right to keep it to himself.”
Mr. Cousteau did enjoy a most extraordinary life and he did share that life generously. And now a new generation of youngsters can dream about swimming the ocean depths. I only wish that he had thought to invent a diving suit for a dog!
This book would fit in nicely with a unit on oceans or conservation. If you live close to a body of water it would be a fun field trip to go and study what you can see at the water’s edge. I know in my river there are always tiny fish and strange bugs and frogs and sometimes turtles. You might want to watch one of Mr Cousteau’s films.
Here is a little tidbit of what you might see from one of his films —
Here is a tidbit just for fun!
And now you might want to venture over to Ms Susanna Hill’s blog to find her list of Perfect Picture Books and lots of good resources for using those books! Happy Friday!!
Your friend in the water
Rhythm
Reading With Rhythm 
I loved watching Jacques Cousteau as well. 🙂 Love the pictures your Mom Person took of you swimming!!!
Thanks Ms Naylor!
Good morning, Rhythm,
You have a ownderful river to swim in. I envy you.
Have a great weekend,
Pit
Alas, that river is all dried up right now. 😦 It mostly dries up every summer, but comes back in September. But we haven’t had any rain to bring it back. It’s a sad, sad thing. 😦
I’m keeping my fingers crossed for plenty of rain
I loved watching Jacques Cousteau when I was a child. So I know I would enjoy reading this book. The illustrations sound wonderful. I also enjoyed seeing the videos. We are dating ourselves.
I think that you would find this book very enjoyable Ms Tilton!! 🙂
I think this is my favorite Yaccarino book!
He does have some good ones out there. 🙂
Cousteau is a modern day explorer who make the sea come alive for me. Great pick! (Now grab a towel, Rhythm!)
He seems to make the sea come alive for lots of people! 🙂
Sounds like a great book! Love the pup perusing the illustrations. 😀
Thanks Ms Hoffman! A great book indeed!!
What a fabulous choice… I am fascinated by this man!
He is truly a fascinating gentleman. I think that the two of y’all would have gotten along real fine!! 🙂
I used to love watching him on TV when I was little. In fact, I thought I might study oceanography when I was in high school. Sounds like a great book. Thanks.
I take it that you did not study oceanography? Have you heard of the Mermaid Scientist? I think you would like her work. http://mermaidscientist.com/posts/
I have now! Thanks for the link! Wow, a double major in art and biology. Maybe I should have tried that 🙂
Looks like Jacques Cousteau had lots of fun in his job. Looks like you had lots of fun, swimming and fetching, too, R. Awesome!
Love and licks,
Cupcake
Looks like! On both counts! Do you like to swim Cupcake?
I’ve never tried swimming, but if it’s anything like a bath, I’m thinking….no.
Oh Cupcake! Not like a bath at all!! You must try it sometime! 😀
Wow, Jacques Cousteau was on TV regularly when I was a kid. Amazing what he accomplished with his Calypso. Immediately brings to mind that song! One of my favorites by John Denver 😀
https ://www .youtube. com/watch?v=-ZonmQZG0GQ
In case you missed it, I have a picture of Dan (he’s so nice 🙂 ) on myblog ’cause he was at the recent Princeton Book Festival. You can see him AND this book if you scroll all the way to the bottom:
http ://writersideup. com/2014/09/21/up-a-festival-of-books-in-princeton/
Btw, you look great in scuba gear, Rhythm 🙂
It seems that all you adult folks know all about Mr Cousteau! He was an amazing gentleman. The ripples he made in the sea spread far and wide.
It seems that you know everybody Ms Donna!!! Yes, I saw your picture of Mr Yaccarino. You are a lucky girl. 😀
It would be fun to have some real scuba gear that actually fit and worked!!
lol, no, I definitely don’t know everybody, but wouldn’t mind knowing more! 😉 I’ve been heavily involved with organizational stuff with our NJ SCBWI, so I do know a good number of people through that, plus going to the book festival it increases who you meet. And, of course, we all get to know people online, too, right?
As for me, I have no desire to actually wear scuba gear or dive! That’s why I’m so grateful to those who do and for the cameras actually able to photograph and film it all for us to see 😀 😀 😀
Cool illustrations!
Yes, indeed Mr Bruce!!
I remember watching his programmes on tv. Loved anything to do with the ocean. Thanks for sharing this. I was unaware there was a pb about him.
Wow! It seems EVERYBODY got to see him on TV! There is actually another PB about Mr Cousteau that I haven’t read yet because it’s not at my library yet. It’s called Manfish, by Jennifer Berne. http://www.hpbmarketplace.com/Manfish-The-Story-of-Jacques-Cousteau-Jennifer-Berne-PhD/book/10448182?matches=46
Hey, we blogged about water over at the Corner, too. Looks like a delightful book! Our pool is always opened if you want to come splash around with us, Rhythm!
I saw that you had a lovely book about the ocean! And you live close to the ocean as well!! You’re one lucky lady! 🙂 I would love to come swim in your pool!!
Wow! This book sounds great, Rhythm! I would love to read it. My youngest daughter did a report on Jacque Cousteau in 4th grade and her school library had no resources on him at all. They could really use a copy of this book! Thanks so much for sharing it. (And I can see how much you love to swim 🙂 You should come swimming with my dog, Scout – she will swim in anything that qualifies as remotely wet :))
That Scout sounds like a pup I could get along with!!! 😀 I hope that your school library has discovered this book! It would be really helpful for a 4th grade researcher.
I have a copy of Manfish: The Story of Jacques Cousteau checked out from the library right now. Oh, I loved exploring the ocean when him when I was a kid through the documentaries on TV.
Mr. Cousteau seems to have influenced quite a lot of folks! 🙂
Cool book! Clyde doesn’t like water. He sinks and doesn’t swim (his little Bassett legs don’t do well for swimming). Our last dog – Bart loved the water just like you. 😀 I like the illustrations in the book and would like to read this one!
Poor Clyde. 😦 My Mom Person once had a LABRADOR who had the same problem! Weird! You need to get Clyde one of those swimming jackets that help keep dogs afloat.
Rhythm, you do love water don’t you? Thanks for sharing your photos. This book sounds awesome. I love Dan Yaccarino! Thanks for sharing!
Yes, Yes, Yes!! Water, water, water!!! 😀 That Mr Yaccarino is quite a wonder! We have several of his books and they are all fun!