Else B. in the Sea : The Woman Who Painted the Wonders of the Deep by Jeanne Walker Harvey and illustrated by Melodie Stacey is due early June 2024. Therefore I read via an online reader copy.
This is an amazing introductory picture book on a person, Else Bostelmann, who we are not probably familiar with. She was not only an artist but also a scientist. She was hired, in the 1930s, to paint the ocean. But not the waves or the creatures above those waves, but the plants, animals and other wonders of below. Finding ways to adapt to the depths, using paint (or not) under sea water, and more, Bostelmann would give everyday people a glimpse of life down below. She would show the lines, markings, details of each creature. She would show how colors changed the deeper you went (her favorite red bathing suit would become gray), and so much more. 
The ocean being opened up to us the reader, is done by strong text and soft, dreamy-realism but also solid illustrations. The imagery is colorful, but deceptively simple looking. The colors are my favorite part, simple because they show the areas to view… and it’s all color! A perfect afterwards wraps things up with the more scientific aspect of things. Here we see some of the actual paintings of Else B and learn a bit more about the science behind the art (and the art behind the science). Great for all ages, it does lean towards a slightly older crowd, and if used in a classroom, could go as high as third or young fourth graders.
