A Q&A with Steve Jenkins, Author of Down, Down, Down
Q: How much research was involved in the creation of the book? A: Lot's--I read ten or twelve books about ocean exploration and biology, borrowed or bought dozens of others with photos and illustrations of ocean animals, watched all of the BBC ocean-related TV productions (Blue Planet, Planet Earth, The Living Planet, The Life of Mammals--I feel like David Attenborough is my good friend). And of course I did a lot of internet research. So many deep-ocean discoveries are recent, and lots of things haven't made their way into print yet, at least not into books that I could find. There are a lot of high-quality web sites associated with universities or research organizations. One of the hardest parts was figuring out where to do the descent, once I'd decided to do a surface to sea floor journey. I wanted the water temperature, geology and animal life to be accurate for that specific location. Ultimately, I realized that if we were going to go on this trip, we really had to end up in the deepest spot in the sea.
Q: What was the most surprising thing you learned while working on Down, Down, Down?
A: Probably the thing that got me interested in the first place--the fact that we know so little about the oceans. The longest mountain range in the world--the mid-ocean ridge, which runs for more than 40,000 miles-- was unknown until the 1960s. There are undoubtedly large, still unknown life forms in the oceans.
Q: Which animal was the most challenging to construct?
A: The siphonophore--both lights on and lights off.
Q: What do you think accounts for both adults' and kids' long-abiding fascination with the ocean and its creatures?
A: As a species, we are intrigued with the unknown. It's one reason we've done so well, and inhabit almost every corner of the globe (at least where there's dry land). I think it's the fact that the ocean is at once so inviting (think: a nice day at the beach or a pleasant sailboat trip) and so terrifying (a storm at sea; the dark, cold depths and frightening creatures) makes it especially fascinating. And many of those deep-sea creatures are beyond anything we'd imagined.
Q: Are there certain things a parent/teacher/adult can do to keep the love of science alive in kids? As a parent, what do you do to encourage that love and curiosity in your own children?
A: Listen to their questions, and if you donât know the answer, look it up together. Buy lots of nonfiction books! Or get them at the library, and read them together. Like so many things--diet, physical activity, a love of art or music--children pay more attention to what we do than what we say. So the first step in encouraging a love of science in children might be to cultivate an interest in it ourselves. And there is so much going on right now, so many amazing things being discovered, that it's not hard to become interested. Our family watches lots of nature programs, such as Richard Attenborough's BBC-produced documentaries. They are a great entry point to natural science.
(Photo © Tim Tucker)
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Customer Reviews:
 Most Awesome Non-Fiction Book Ever! November 15, 2009
Laura Harrison (White Plains, NY)
This book is genius. Beautiful and informative. You can't go wrong with Steve Jenkins. He is one of the most brilliant author/illustrators of our time. Your child will LOVE this title.
The reluctant reader and confident reader will both experience a WOW connection with this book! Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh ... August 8, 2009
D. Fowler (Vermont)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh . . . you can hear the sound of waves crashing on the shore and can easily see many different forms of life at the surface, but have you ever wondered what lies deep beneath the ocean waves? Above the waters you can see an albatross searching for his lunch while the Portuguese man-of-war lingers on the surface of the water waiting for his. Every now and then "sea creatures sometimes leap from the water into the air." The great white shark, the flying squid, flying fish and the spinner dolphin break the surface letting us know their presence. Under the surface and down, down, down are many fish we have seen, but also many amazing creatures that appear to come from a prehistoric era.
In this book each page descends a bit further down toward the bottom of the ocean, talks about what you might see around you, the life forms you will encounter, the depth, the name of the zone and tells you many other interesting facts and vignettes like how the sperm what battles with the giant squid "in total darkness." The deeper you go the more unusual the creatures become and the experience seems like something from a fantasy land. In the dark zone it even snows. When "marine snow" falls it might appear to be snow, but is actually "composed of dead plankton, fish scales, animal waste, and bits of larger creatures that have died in the waters above." Below it gets even stranger. Do you dare to go down even further?
This is a marvelously fun book to read and browse. The reluctant reader and confident reader will both experience a WOW connection with this book. When encountering an unusual creature like the siphonophore the reader almost has no choice but to read a little bit about critters that glow in the dark and how far down under the ocean they are (they're in the twilight zone, of course!). In the back of the book both the curious and voracious reader can find out more about each creature portrayed. Get ready for some FUN with this book!
5 year old son loves this book! June 23, 2009
Wine Country Mommy (Sonoma County, CA)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
My book-savvy dad, purchased this book for my 5 year old son's birthday. It has spectacular illustrations that will make you look twice - they are actually very detailed cut paper. My son is fascinated by deep sea life, and when he grows up, wants to be a scientist who goes down in submersibles to study creatures with bioluminescence. This book was great for feeding his insatiable appetite on the subject! I am buying a second copy as a gift for his preschool to have in the classroom. We especially liked the diagram on every page that shows the relative depth of the bizarre creatures as you go further and further down toward the Marianas Trench.
The New York Times was right (for a change) June 14, 2009
Rudi Franke
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
A read a review of this book in the New York Times Book Review and decided that it would be a good buy for my grand daughter. I always review these purchases myself to see how well I agree with the Times and in this case I do. I also always buy new book on Amazon and save a trip to the local book store (too bad bookstores!) I cautioned my daughter that when she reads this with my grand daughter that she should emphasize that the fantastic creatures featured in this book really do exist. With the many cartoon characters spewed at us on TV, one has to separate fiction from reality for the innocent. I'm awaiting my grand daughter's reaction to this informative book.
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