Else B. in the Sea is a poetic picture book biography about a daring and pioneering woman artist that combines themes of art and science from author Jeanne Walker Harvey and illustrator Melodie Stacey.
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, and, back on land, she 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.
Praise
"[D]azzling and convey[s] how extraordinary undersea life is. A little-known female artist receives well-deserved attention."
—Kirkus
***STARRED REVIEW***
"Readers will feel as if they have taken the plunge, too...Her ever-expanding solutions from subsequent dives are fascinating and a testament to her resilience. The illustrations...will hook readers, both with the drama of Else’s dives and with the delicious creepiness of some of the sea creatures...A hugely appealing story"
—Booklist
