Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau by Jennifer Berne

Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau

by Jennifer Berne, illustrated by Éric Puybaret

"Bubbles rising
through the silence of the sea,
silvery beads of breath
from a man
deep, deep down
in a strange and shimmering ocean land
of swaying plants and fantastic creatures,
a manfish
swimming, diving
into the unknown,
exploring underwater worlds
no one had ever seen
and no one could ever have imagined."

Manfish is a picture book biography of the famed underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau. Beginning with the poem above and then proceeding in narrative form, the book tells the story of Jacques' childhood fascination with the water, his dreams of flying like a fish beneath the waves, and his invention of the aqualung.
 

Author Jennifer Berne makes a point of underscoring Cousteau's significant role as a conservationist to her audience. The moral becomes not just one of exploration and research, but one of responsibility for our planet.
 

One of my favorite parts of the book is Éric Puybaret's beautiful illustration style. The pictures are so beautiful and I can easily envision parents framing them on the walls of their child's bedroom. Along with the descriptions, the pictures invite readers into the underwater world that Cousteau so greatly championed.

The book is best suited to older picture book readers, likely those six or seven on up, and would be greatly enjoyed by any child who has a love for swimming, the ocean, and the plants, animals, and amazing sights found underneath the surface.

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