Dive!: The Story of Breathing Underwater

by Chris Gall

DIVE! is a fascinating introduction to the comprehensive, world history of diving by award-winning artist Chris Gall.

How do you breathe underwater? What tools can we use to go deeper and deeper into the oceans? And...what's down there?

Two-thirds of our Earth is covered in ocean, yet only 5% of it has been explored.

DIVE deep into our long history of sea exploration to learn why, how, and when humans have dived, and uncover our biggest questions about what hides in the Earth's deepest waters.

Perfect for STEM-oriented minds and young and old readers fascinated by the sea, Dive! is a must-have to add to any nonfiction shelf.

Genres: Picture Books, Nonfiction, Science, History, Stem, Technology, Childrens

48 pages, Hardcover

First published April 9, 2024

About the author

Chris Gall has been drawing pictures for as long as he can remember. When he was caught doodling on his desk in second grade, his teacher suggested that he might become an artist some day, then made him clean all the desks in the classroom. In seventh grade, Chris won a Read Magazine Young Writers Award, and that inspired him to create stories to go with his art. After graduating from the University of Arizona, Chris became an award-winning, internationally recognized illustrator, and his artwork has been shown in almost every publication in America, including Time, Newsweek, People, Fortune, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.

In 2004, his first picture book, America the Beautiful, became a Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of the Year, and his career in children’s publishing began. Since then he has authored and/or illustrated 16 more books, including the acclaimed Dinotrux, a 2009 Publishers Weekly Best Children’s book; Revenge of the Dinotrux; Awesome Dawson; Substitute Creacher; Dog Vs. Cat and The Littlest Train. For grownups, he also illustrated and designed the PDT Cocktail Book, the 2012 Best New Cocktail Book, awarded by Tales of the Cocktail.

Chris has also worked as an adjunct professor of art at the University of Arizona and spent four years as a professional stand-up comedian. He currently lives in Tucson, Arizona, where in his spare time he works as a volunteer for the Southern Arizona Rescue Association (Pima County Search and Rescue).

In August of 2015, after 5 years of development, Dreamworks Animation brought Dinotrux to Netflix as an animated television show for children.

Reviews

[Hezekiah Huang · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wayyy too many words for my auntie Randi to read me so we just looked at the pictures

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

We were fascinated by this book and sustained interest until the end.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bold, colorful and detailed illustrations are a star here. It's really neat to see the history of diving and "breathing underwater" progress from the days of the early sponge divers around 2,400 years ago to modern-day aqua-lungs and submarines. I appreciate that it begins with the wonder and curiosity that humans have always felt about "what's down there" in the sea... a curiosity which drove those early divers and continues to fuel dreams and research today. As with most overviews of the sort, information on each invention or notable figure is brief but provides sufficient info for the purpose and is enough to foster curiosity and spark interest in further research for kids really interested in the subject. My engineering-minded son really appreciated the illustrations that showed how the various apparatus worked and both kids went wild over the two-page spread featuring six atmospheric diving suits, from the Lethbridge design of 1715 to the Newt Suit, Nyutten deisgn, from 1984-present. Back matter contains information on how you can become a certified diver, careers for divers, a glossary, fun facts, sources, and a note from the author (who is a diver himself).

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who has been underwater knows that as you dive deeper you feel the pressure in your ears. If you know people who scuba dive they have learned how to safely use a tank of air when they dive deep in the ocean. It is possible that some children know that divers have rules for returning to the surface from deep water to avoid a medical condition called the Bends. This book will talk about historically how bridge builders, who work on posts below the water, and scuba divers who dive deep in the ocean are two workers that have to learn this information. Others who are interested in the history of diving and all that has been learned will love the facts in this book. If you don't dive, but you love science, this beautifully illustrated book is quite a fun read. There is a lot of text in parts, but the science is perfect for inquisitive minds!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this one recommended on social media and checked it out at my local library. It is rated for kids 5-8, but I wonder if they might need adult help with some of the concepts. Then again, kids these days are much more knowledgeable than I was at those ages.

The content is excellent. Gall presents both the science and history of diving, back to the ancient Greeks. The illustrations are clear, help explain concepts, and are fun to look at. I think it is odd that most of the humans look sad or are expressionless. At the back of the book, there is a glossary, a list of sources, and fun facts (like that falling coconuts kill more people annually than sharks, an average of 150 vs. 10).

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, informative, great illustrations. I learned a lot about the history of Diving. I wondered about the Author's note and why his first sentence was "I was an author." He never expanded on the past tense and left me hanging. If Chris Gall seems to love diving so much why, why did he use the past tense?

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

My feelings on this book are so divided. I found it really interesting, and I love informational books with lots of extra little facts for me to read. I really loved the illustrations which were detailed and colorful and so compelling. But the main text felt a little dense and wasn't the most enjoyable to read.

[Lesa Dierking · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nonfiction book with good information and good illustrations. It's set up in the same manner as the 'traditional' nonfiction layout. Went through the history of how to breathe underwater, starting back 1000 years ago or so, and back up through time.

[Robin Leach · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations were okay. Loved the intro. Wonder when I’ll go again.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

nonfiction

[Awjtf · Rating 4 out of 5]

So informative! Great illustrations!

[AnneLibrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great recommendation for kids interested in the ocean, inventions, and how things work. Lots of detail to pour over.

[Rocky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really interesting. I'm not sure every kid will be excited to read it, and it's a bit long for a read aloud. But, it's written in a way kids will understand.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the format and digestible information in this book. this made a very enjoyable read aloud for my kids ranging in age from 7-14.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
Humans have always sought to explore the waters. Dive explores the many ways humans have enhanced their underwater breathing to further that exploration.