If You Went to the Bottom of the Ocean

A zone-by-zone tour of the ocean’s depths proves awe-inspiring in McIntyre and Wright’s immersive tale of a submersible expedition. Emphasizing the aquatic ecosystem’s immense biodiversity, second-person narration transforms the reader into an explorer. Diving into the sunlight zone, the pictured craft “might pass sardines schooling,/ tuna rising”; in the twilight zone, “a giant squid might jet by”; and in the midnight zone, one might “listen to your heart thump, knowing/ that, nearby, giants hunt unseen.” Upon readers’ arrival at the abyssal and hadal zones, the book’s orientation rotates. Rendered with gouache, ink, and acrylic, velvety blue paintings convey the ocean’s fathomless qualities. In one scene, marine snow fills a spread like scratches on a film negative; in another, a sea cucumber floats within the subtle frame of a vessel’s window. Emphasizing the depths traveled, this trip to the ocean’s floor amazes. An author’s note kicks off extensive back matter. Ages 5–8. (May)