Book Recommendation: Down, Down, Down

Here’s a great new children’s book that is unrelated to anything LGBT except insofar as my son has been enjoying it:

Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea, by Caldecott honoree Steve Jenkins (What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?, Actual Size), is a beautiful work that takes the reader deeper into the ocean with each page. Jenkins’ torn-paper collage illustrations are both stunning and more realistic that one might expect, especially if you hear the word “collage” and think of Lois Ehlert. (I like Ehlert; she just has a different style.)

There is just enough text on each page to convey a little about what one might find at that sea depth. It is not as information-heavy as, say, the various DK books that pack almost too much onto a page. At the same time, the text doesn’t feel watered down or patronizing. It is straightforward, interesting, and supplements rather than distracts from the illustrations.

My son is six and loves it; somewhat younger or older children would likely enjoy it, too, and the very young might at least like looking at the pictures (as will parents of all ages). There are a couple of pages at the end with more details for older children who want them.

It would make a great gift along with a membership to a local aquarium.