Written by: Dr. Dominic Walliman
Illustrated by: Ben Newman
For ages: 7 years and up
Language: English
Topics Covered: Nature, Natural World, Ocean, Sea Life, Pint-Sized Professor, STEM, Biology, Environmental Activism, Pollution, Self-Empowerment.
Summary:
This is the newest installment of the incredible Professor Astro Cat series! Grab your nearest ocean enthusiast and settle in for 60+ pages of aquatic adventure. So this book came out in the beginning of April and honestly I’m ashamed it’s taken me this long to finally sit down and write a review. The book is incredible, I’m obsessed with the Professor Astro Cat layout (which you know if you’ve read any of my other reviews about the series) which reads part compendium and part comic book. There are tons of small details to pore over while exploring maps of global oceans and sea phenomena.
Deep Sea Voyage covers a huge amount of information between its covers, taking the reader through kelp forests, scaling underwater mountains and exploring coral reefs. The book covers factoids about animal wildlife as well, not just the ecosystems they live in. Do you know why polar bears sniff the ice? How about what the biggest jellyfish is? Going through this book readers learn this and so much more, including how the oceans and seas were formed in the first place! Importantly too, in the back, is information about how the oceans are in danger because of global warming and pollution. Briefing the reader on oil spills and microplastics, we also learn what we can do to help offset some of these effects. I love the way this series empowers young scientists to learn as much as they can and take their education into their own hands, one eye always on the environment and sustainability. An amazing addition to this series, I truly can’t wait to see what STEM topic this dynamic duo tackles next!
This book was kindly sent to us by our friends at Flying Eye Books, but all opinions are our own.
About the Author & the Illustrator:
Dominic Walliman is a physicist, and award-winning science writer. He is co-creator of the Professor Astro Cat science books with illustrator Ben Newman.
Dominic received his PhD in quantum device physics from the University of Birmingham, and currently works at the quantum computing company D-Wave Systems Inc. As well as writing, he enjoys making films and animations to explain science and has produced a series of online videos communicating D-Wave’s groundbreaking quantum technology and his own videos about general science.
He has been writing science books since 2011, and he aims to give children super fun and clear explanations of science through the adventures of Professor Astro Cat. He grew up reading science books and remembers vividly the excitement of discovering the mind boggling explanations that science gives us about the Universe. If he can pass on this wonder and enjoyment to the next generation, he will consider it a job well done.
Ben Newman has developed a distinct aesthetic over the years; a contemporary fusion of bold shapes, bright colours and playful characters which has been described as ‘bauhaus fuzzy felt.’ He has produced work for a large range of clients, including the Tate Modern, New York Times, BBC Radio 4, Google and The New Yorker. His practice extends outside of commercial work into worldwide exhibitions, paintings and three dimensional collaborations. Nowadays, he spends the majority of his time collaborating on the Professor Astro Cat children’s books with his longtime friend and scientist, Dr Dominic Walliman, which are published by Flying Eye Books and have been translated into 18 other languages.
Concurrent to working as a freelance illustrator, Newman lectures on illustration at various universities and conferences in the UK and Europe.