Journey Under the Arctic (Fabien Cousteau Expeditions)

by Fabien Cousteau (Author) Joe St Pierre (Illustrator)

Journey Under the Arctic (Fabien Cousteau Expeditions)
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
Dive into the world's coldest ocean in search of one of the rarest creatures on the planet​ in this second story in a series of graphic adventure novels. Junior explorers Rocco and Olivia embark on an exciting journey into the frigid Arctic waters with famed explorer Fabien Cousteau and his research team. Together, they hope to find the rare dumbo octopus and uncover how this exceptional creature is able to live in such an extreme climate. To get there, they'll board an icebreaker to travel to the Arctic Circle, and will come face to face with polar bears, puffins, Artic hares, and more. Then they'll climb into a submersible and dive deep under the surface to see whales, narwhals, and other incredible species only found in these mysterious depths. Join the team on this deep-sea expedition, and learn how the changing climate affects the ocean and its inhabitants, and discover what you can do to help save the planet!
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Hardcover
$19.99

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School Library Journal

Gr 5-7--Fabien Cousteau, grandson of Jacques-Yves, crafts a story in which he leads a fictional crew of researchers including two enthusiastic young "Junior Expeditioners" into the Chukchi Sea and then beneath it in a submersible--meeting a teeming variety of local wildlife from whales and polar bears to eerie ice worms. In search of the dumbo octopus (variously described as both "rare" and "common"), Fabian and the team come across a camp where elder Inuits are teaching young people the old ways: living in igloos, relying on dog sleds, and hunting fish. The decision to depict Inuit people not as modern but as rooted in the past falls flat, as does a scene where an Inuit elder recalls a dream about the octopus, which relies heavily on antiquated stereotypes of Indigneous people. Elsewhere, the pejorative term Eskimo is used without explanation or context. The promise of a rousing flashback at the outset to a 1775 encounter with a derelict ship crewed by frozen mummies is never quite fulfilled. The ensuing modern expedition struggles to maintain headway through heavy waves of informational slush that often threaten to overwhelm the smiling, muffled figures that St. Pierre shoehorns in static poses into his small, garishly colored panels. Amid all the mini-lectures, readers will have to learn elsewhere what a "water column" is, and that the scientific name for walrus, Odobenus rosmarus, translates as "tooth walking sea horse," not just "tooth walker." Moreover, in one picture, labels for "port" and "starboard" are confusingly placed on their opposite sides, and in another image the tentacles of a lion's mane jellyfish are green while the text describes them as red and yellow. VERDICT A huge amount of information is provided about rarely visited habitats, but it is presented in such a didactic, stereotypical, and slapdash way that middle grade readers are likely to come away confused and/or offended.--John Peters, Children's Literature Consultant, New York

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"Illustrations are bold and colorful with sharp outlines helping to keep the focus on the action, animals, and discoveries. A welcome addition to the growing number of nonfiction, science-focused graphic novels."— "Booklist"
Fabien Cousteau
Fabien Cousteau is the grandson of famed sea explorer Jacques Cousteau, and a third-generation ocean explorer and filmmaker. He has worked with National Geographic, Discovery, PBS, and CBS to produce ocean exploration documentaries and continues to produce environmentally-oriented content for schools, books, magazines, and newspapers. Learn more about his work at FabienCousteauOLC.org.

James O. Fraioli is a published author of twenty-five books and an award-winning filmmaker. Fraioli has traveled the globe alongside experienced guides, naturalists, and scientists, and has spent considerable time exploring and writing about the outdoors. He has served on the Board of Directors for the Seattle Aquarium and works with many environmental organizations. Learn more about his work at VesperEntertainment.com.

Joe St.Pierre has illustrated for Marvel and DC Comics, and works in the fields of intellectual property design, commercial illustration, and storyboards for animation and video games. Clients have included MTV, Discovery Channel, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros. Animation, Cartoon Network, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and PBS. Joe's publishing company, Astronaut Ink, highlights his creator-owned properties. See his work at AstronautInk.com.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781534420908
Lexile Measure
800
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication date
March 17, 2020
Series
Fabien Cousteau Expeditions
BISAC categories
JUV029010 - Juvenile Fiction | Nature & the Natural World | Environment
JUV002170 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Marine Life
JUV008040 - Juvenile Fiction | Comics & Graphic Novels | Action & Adventure
JUV063000 - Juvenile Fiction | Recycling & Green Living
Library of Congress categories
Scientists
Graphic novels
Arctic regions
Octopuses
Rare animals
Cousteau, Fabien

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