Else B. in the Sea

By Jeanne Walker Harvey, Melodie Stacey (Illustrator)

Dive into the 1930s sea with an artist capturing unseen ocean wonders.

4.2/5 Goodreads · 123 ratings

32 pages

$19.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

In 1930, artist Else Bostelmann dons a diving helmet and plunges into Bermuda's depths, painting a hidden underwater world. Amidst coral castles and vibrant sea life, she captures the unseen, bringing to life the mysterious creatures described by scientist William Beebe. Her daring journey reveals a dreamlike realm, blending art and science, and sharing the ocean's secrets with the world. What wonders will she uncover beneath the waves?

From the publisher

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 Harveyand illustratorMelodie 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.

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