From his boyhood in France through his adult years of exploration and the eventual founding of the Cousteau Society, the life of Jacques Cousteau revolved around his love of the sea. “The ocean was the most incredible place he’d ever seen, and he wanted to share its beauty with the world.” In addition to his passion for water, “Jacques also loved to tinker and [built] all sorts of gadgets,” including the Aqua-Lung, revolutionizing extended underwater dives. When Cousteau returned to the Mediterranean after traveling the world’s oceans, he found it changed. Pollution was killing off plants and animals, inspiring him to a lifetime of educating society about the value of the earth’s oceans and the importance of controlling preventable contamination. Stylized illustrations and a tall, thin format, mimicking the man himself, invite children to discover this pioneer of the planet’s waters. (Ages 5–10)