• Age: 4 to 7
• Grade: k to 2
• Reading age: 4 to 7

“Masterful artwork and nuanced verse invite readers to hold their breath and dive deep.” Kirkus, STARRED REVIEW

Sophia bravely dives down to discover the secrets under the sea. She encounters beautiful fish and floating forests. Farther down, the dark water is full of tentacles and treasures. Deep underwater, she is never alone. Do you dare dive down after her?

The ocean is full of endless possibilities in this dreamy, imagistic story from acclaimed author/illustrator Irene Luxbacher. Her otherworldly paintings show colorful fish, rippling seawater and the secrets to be found at the bottom of the ocean. Sophia’s journey will linger with readers long after the return to shore.

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.7
With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.6
Identify who is telling the story at various points in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.4
Describe how words and phrases (e.g., regular beats, alliteration, rhymes, repeated lines) supply rhythm and meaning in a story, poem, or song.

Irene Luxbacher a obtenu son diplôme d'histoire de l'art à l'université Queen's avant d'étudier au Emily Carr College of Art and Design à Vancouver, en Colombie Britannique. En 1994, elle est revenue à Toronto où elle coordonne des expositions d'arts d'enfants en plus d'écrire et d'illustrer des livres dans ce domaine. On lui doit la collection Mes premières oeuvres.

Irene Luxbacher was nominated for the Governor General's Award for her illustrations in Andrew Larsen's The Imaginary Garden and its sequel The Not-So-Faraway Adventure. She has illustrated several other picture books, and her own Deep Underwater, Mattoo, Let’s Play!, and Mr. Frank, as well as eight acclaimed children’s art activity books. She lives in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, with her husband and young son. You can learn more about her work at ireneluxbacher.com.

Irene Luxbacher's profile page

… subtle nods to creative inspirations and the enchanting visuals make for an immersive read celebrating the joys of imagination.

Booklist

[Luxbacher's] narration is both succinct and full of rich language, so listeners will have interesting words to ponder while poring over wondrous images… . Mixed media art and collage, digitally composed, produce intense colors and a riot of textures that depict the teeming underwater flora and fauna.

School Library Journal

… the adventure creates a sense of quiet wonder and contentment.

Publishers Weekly

Readers ride waves of wonder … Masterful artwork and nuanced verse invite readers to hold their breath and dive deep.

Kirkus, STARRED REVIEW

In calm and soothing passages, this water nymph takes readers on an immersive adventure… . There is a lovely tranquility and depth to this ocean story that lies intriguingly below the shimmering surface.

Quill & Quire