June 7, 2018
Otis and Will Discover the Deep is the newest book out by Katherine Roy ’10, written by Barb Rosenstock. Otis Barton and Will Beebe dove into the ocean in their own invention, the Bathysphere, on June 6, 1930. Up until these brave explorers and their hollow metal ball, no one had ever dived more than a few hundred feet (and come back). And it is coming out to rave reviews.
- School Library Journal: The text is expertly complemented by illustrations that detail what is happening, and capture the emotion and fascination of the men.
- Kirkus Review: Roy’s multimedia paintings deliver plenty of contrasts, from boyhood scenes to events aboard the ship and undersea; endpapers depict creatures that dwell at several different ocean depths.
- Booklist Online: A repeated refrain of “down, down, down” and ever-darkening backgrounds punctuated by moments of gasp-inducing mishaps ratchet up the tension, but when they finally make it to 800 feet below the ocean surface, it’s all worth it for the view of glowing, alien creatures, which Roy powerfully depicts in a swirling, dusky double-gatefold spread.
Tags: Cartoon Studies, Children's Book, Katherine Roy, Otis and Will Discover the Deep, reviews
