Else B. in the Sea

April 15, 2024
An artist's remarkable work brought undersea life to wide public notice. German immigrant and artist Else Bostelmann (1882-1961) painted life under the ocean while working for renowned marine scientist William Beebe; while taking part in expeditions for the New York Zoological Society (now the Wildlife Conservation Society) in the 1930s, he dove beneath waters off the coast of Bermuda in a bathysphere. Few had investigated the mysterious world under the seas; fewer still had painted it. Else B., as she was known, not only painted the glorious plants and bioluminescent animals found beneath the ocean but, wearing a copper helmet, took her art supplies (steel pencils, zinc plates) underwater with her to record the magical, almost unimaginable world below. The extraordinary images she produced, published in National Geographic magazine during the Depression, were well worth it. The book pays homage to some of Bostelmann's beautiful, detailed, accurate paintings. Stacey's conceptualizations of them, rendered in gouache, watercolor, pastel, and colored pencil, are lovely; the backmatter includes reproductions of Else's art. The works are dazzling and convey how extraordinary undersea life is. The text isn't quite as captivating, though readers will likely be interested in how Else fared underwater and what she discovered during her explorations. Unfortunately, some terms used in the text are neither defined nor pronounced for readers' benefit. A little-known female artist receives well-deserved attention. (author's note, more information on topics explored in the book, math conversion table, map of Bermuda and environs, photo of Else Bostelmann, selected sources) (Informational picture book. 6-9)

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Starred review from June 1, 2024
Grades K-2 *Starred Review* This immersive picture-book biography stars Else Bostelmann, who revolutionized marine biology and brought mysterious sea creatures to public view by doing paintings of them--at six fathoms deep in the ocean itself. In the summer of 1930, Else B., as she's called in this book, plunged into the Atlantic from over the side of a small boat off Bermuda, outfitted only with a primitive metal diving helmet, an air hose, and a red bathing suit. Readers will feel as if they have taken the plunge, too, with the first section concentrating on Bostelmann's physical sensations as she goes deeper and deeper, including how her ears throb from the pressure, how soft the sand at the bottom feels, and how weightlessness makes her feel as if she's flying. The big question for Bostelmann (and the reader) is, How can she paint in the ocean? Her ever-expanding solutions from subsequent dives are fascinating and a testament to her resilience. The illustrations, done with gouache, watercolor, pastels, and colored pencil, will hook readers, both with the drama of Bostelmann's dives and with the delicious creepiness of some of the sea creatures, especially the glow-in-the dark ones, which look like aliens with bulging eyes, huge tentacles, and protruding fangs. A hugely appealing story, rounded nicely by further information given in the concluding author's note.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.