Deep Sea Extremes

School Library Journal

Gr 3–5—Frozen Extremes demonstrates that the Arctic and Antarctic regions are hospitable to a range of species. A brief discussion of exploration is included, and global warming is briefly mentioned. Rain Forest Extremes offers information on a variety of animals, plants, and peoples and suggests what to take along on trips to the deepest jungles. Deforestation is mentioned briefly but readers are assured that "Local groups have been given control of their lands and national parks protect forest wildlife." Deep Sea Extremes concentrates on oceans' lower depths and the unusual creatures living there. Printed on mostly black pages, a variety of sea life, ranging from plankton to the great blue whale, is presented. Oddly, in discussing how underwater volcanoes can bring the temperature up to 660 F, an accompanying photograph shows an underwater photographer wearing only regular scuba-diving gear. Hyde notes that trawlers are harvesting into deeper areas, but overfishing is ignored. Mountain Extremes covers the largest mountains of the world and their various inhabitants and includes many examples of worst-case scenarios in which climbers can die. A sidebar describes a mudslide in Colombia that was caused by a volcanic eruption, resulting in 23,000 deaths, although there is no other discussion of volcanoes. There are many excellent photographs in these books, but they are layered upon each other and the accompanying captions are often difficult to attach to the appropriate illustration. The myriad facts are often interesting, but have little focus. Students may not be able to maneuver through the hodgepodge of extremes.—Eva Elisabeth VonAncken, Trinity-Pawling School,Pawling, NY

Children's Literature - Judy Crowder

Imagine a world where there is no light, the pressure could squish a human body flat, and temperatures can range from frigid to boiling hot. Chemicals spew from deep vents and most nourishment is in the form of "marine snow," fine particles of flesh or vegetation that have filtered down from above. This is the world of the deep sea. Scientists have determined that the deep floor, or abyssal plain, is over 2.4 miles, with even deeper trenches going down more than 3.7.miles. Such depths must be desolate and empty of life, right? Not at all! Many remarkable deep sea animals have adapted to live in dark, deep waters. This book, one of the "Extreme Nature" series, uses well-written text, colorful graphics and amazing photo illustration to teach young readers about the creatures that live in this unforgiving world. Deep Ocean dwellers vary from the giant icopod, like its cousin the pill bug, except that it can grow as long as 24 inches and lives on the ocean floor, to fantastic fish such as the gulper eel and angler fish, to giants like the colossal squid, to creatures that use luminescence to make their own light. The photography in the book is remarkable, Format is lively and inviting, filled with boxed asides called, "fast facts," and the book includes brief overviews of legendary sea monsters, words to know, other books to read, timely information about deep sea oil drilling, web sites, and index. Reviewer: Judy Crowder