Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle

Written by Claire A. Nivola

Narrated by Nicole Poole

Best-selling author Claire A. Nivola has won multiple awards for her captivating books introducing historical figures to young audiences. In this critically acclaimed profile of noted oceanographer Sylvia Earle, listeners follow Sylvia as her childhood adventures in the Gulf of Mexico help inspire her life's work: discovering the secrets of ''the blue heart of the planet.'' ''Young explorers will be happy to dive into this biography of the renowned oceanographer.''- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 22, 2012
• ISBN: 9781470322601

Claire A. Nivola

Ms. Nivola has written and illustrated several children’s books, including Planting the Trees of Kenya.  She lives with her family in Newton, Massachusetts.

Reviews for Life in the Ocean

[sadiecooney · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Life in the Ocean is about an oceanographer Sylvia. This story is non-fiction and lets us become a part of Sylvia’s life. She lived in the country and then moved to Florida. She became very interested in the water and Sylvia received many gifts related to the water for her birthday. She was never afraid to stand out and be the only female on an exploration team. Also, Sylvia spent two weeks underwater. Her story is simply amazing and I feel children would enjoy it. This book includes some great illustrations. Life in the Ocean would be an excellent book to expose to children when doing Biography Day. It can be included in a science lesson about the ocean too!

[bridgetmcnamara-2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The book, "Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle" is a biography about Sylvia Earle, but it is written like a story. The story begins with Sylvia as a child and continues by telling the story of her life. The book also gives information in it about animals of the sea; for example, the humpback whale is mentioned on one of the pages. The author uses this time to tell the reader that the humpback whale is forty feet long and weighs 80,000 pounds. Also, the illustrator shows this greatness of the whale in the illustration by drawing both the whale and Sylvia, but Sylvia is drawn much, much smaller than the whale. I also found the illustrations to be very beautiful, with many different colors to represent the beauty of the ocean. The message that I got from the book is that no matter how small or big your dream or passion is, you cannot be afraid to follow it.

[ktran4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this book for several reasons. I enjoyed the imagery and descriptions. The author uses many adjectives and verbs that help the reader paint a picture while they read. For example,”Floating on the surface of the grassy water,...” The words “floating” and “grassy” support the imagery of the sentence. I like how the author also writes about how Sylvia Earle’s interest for the ocean gradually formed as she grew up. The author also included Earle’s accomplishments and discoveries. For example, “...to leading a team of divers stationed for two weeks in a deep sea laboratory off the U.S Virgin Islands,” The accomplishments show the reader Earle’s importance to the story. I also liked that the author relates the animal’s lives to human lives or talks to the audience. For example, “each fish often returning time and again to its same resting place -- just as we do!” I think speaking directly to the audience makes the reader feel like apart of the story. I also enjoyed the detailed watercolor illustrations that relate to the text on each page. The big idea of this story is to take care of the ocean because it contributes to life in our world.

[hannahrevard · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In my opinion, the author used entirely too many quotes from Sylvia Earle in telling her story, then repeating them. Why not just have Sylvia Earle write the book? The illustrations were boring, they could've shown much more detail of the diverse ocean life.

[bookwren · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I ordered this for my elementary school library and I'm so happy I did. From the preface emphasizing the oceans' immensity on our earth to the author's note and selected bibliography, we are treated to beautiful prose and illustrations of Sylvia Earle's life and passion for the seas. "Sylvia Earle who has spent more than seven thousand hours underwater, calls the ocean "the blue heart of the planet." Born away from the sea, young Sylvia quickly exhibited a love for nature, exploring the creeks and woods of her home and recording her observations; she was already a scientist. But it was when her family moved to coastal Florida that her true passion emerged. Mask and snorkel revealed to her a new world teaming with life and woefully under-investigated. Sylvia studied oceanography, learned to scuba dive and designed submersibles to fuel her passion for learning about and protecting the earth's oceans. She shared her explorations through children's books and magazine articles, recounting her adventures in humble, enthusiastic language. Diving with humpback whales: "From the start," Sylvia said, ""I found myself being observed by them." "Whales are like swallows ... like otters ... They move in any direction. They are sleek and elegant and gorgeous, among the most exquisite creatures on the planet." Diving deeper and deeper, she finds the ocean "brimming with extraordinary forms of life." Claire Nivola has penned an admirable tribute to a remarkable woman. I can't wait to share this book with my students.

[matthewbloome · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I had never heard of Sylvia Earle before this book. I'm really impressed with this biography, as I was with her book about Wangari Maathai. Claire Nivola is quickly becoming one of my favorite children's biographers. She really presents amazing books. I eagerly await the next one.

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Beautifully told and beautifully illustrated, this picture-book biography of Sylvia Earle, the oceanographer, environmentalist and author - her books range from adult titles on marine ecology (The World Is Blue: How Our Fate and the Ocean's Are One) to children's picture-books with a similar theme (Dive: My Adventures In the Deep Frontier - who has done so much as an advocate for the seas, is as engaging as it is informative. A biologist and botanist before she knew what the words meant, Sylvia grew up on a farm in New Jersey, where she spent her time observing the flora and fauna of the nearby pond, stream and fields. When her family moved to Florida, to a little house right on the Gulf of Mexico, she "lost her heart to the ocean," becoming fascinated by the teeming life in the world under the water. It was a passion she would follow in school and after, becoming a world renowned scientist and aquanaut, and a fierce proponent of protecting the life in the ocean.The third of Claire A. Nivola's picture-book biography projects that I have read, following upon Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai, which she both wrote and illustrated, and Emma's Poem: The Voice of the Statue of Liberty, which she illustrated for another author, Life in the Ocean is a title that I greatly enjoyed reading. The author's descriptive prose gives readers a good feeling for Sylvia, especially in her early years, when she was "too curious to be afraid," and creates in them great sympathy for her passionate attachment to the seas. As with her other books, Nivola's artwork is just lovely, with beautiful use of color - I loved the varying shades of blue she used in the ocean landscapes, depending upon how deep the waters were, and what time of day it was - and charmingly stylized human figures. I think I will have to track down more of her work - perhaps [book:Orani: My Father's Village|9919963]? In any case, this is one I would highly recommend, to all young ocean lovers, and to children who enjoy reading stories about pioneering explorers and scientists.

[athomp2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thought this book was great how it introduced Sylvia and told of the transition that led her to Florida where she fell in love with the water. The illustrations were great in the way that helped tell the story and capture the imagination. I think this would be a very good book for young readers, especially those interested in oceanography type things.

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A beautifully illustrated biography.

[jenj5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I had never heard of Sylvia Earle before I picked up this book. Nivola tells of Earle's life and her calling to explore the oceans of the world. This would be a great title to give to kids who are fascinated by Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey.

The illustrations look like watercolors to me, but there's no illustration note to confirm. They are filled with tiny details to sift through and the varying layouts work well to pace the story.

Includes an Author's Note that is basically a call for oceanic conservation and a Selected Bibliography. There are obviously direct quotes in the text and I wish they had been cited as well. Also Nivola includes a pictorial glossary of the fish from throughout the book that could inspire some seek and find fun.

[achatela · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Growing up Sylvia earle was always interested in bugs and water life. Sylvia spent countless hours sitting by her pond watching and writing about their every move. When she was twelve her family moved to Florida. Sylvia was very afraid to leave her home because she didn't know what to expect. She fell in love with Florida immediately. That summer she got her first pair of swim goggles, from then on she was able to see everything. She became a marine biologist and spent many hours on the ocean floor. This story shows that even at a young age you can find something that can be a career.

[carolcavedon · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It is a very nice biography of Sylvia Earle that can be explored during third grade where students read biographies. It is also a nice book because it emphasizes the ocean and its creatures and how important it is to be "connected" with the ocean. The picture are awesome and can be represented in the class with watercolor and/or printing.

[melodyreads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Sylvia Earle began exploring nature as a child, and never stopped. This is a summary of her life as marine biologist, explorer, and more. Good, good story.

[mfink1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Sylvia Earle first fell in love with the ocean when she was a young girl. It first began in a small pond that she loved to observe at her home, but her love grew when she and her family moved to their new home that had the Gulf of Mexico as her backyard. Her love of water grew and now, as an adult, she is an oceanographer. She has designed submarines, walked the deep depths of the waters, and has even swam with whales! This picture book is a great biography that is easy for kids to read.