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"Amazing!" "Wow!" "Cool" Any one of these may well be the response when children see the lenticular cover and glow-in-the-dark illustrations in Glow Down Deep. The book takes readers into the lives of amazing glowing organisms – animal and otherwise – and shines a new light on the spectacular natural phenomena of bioluminescence, biofluorescence and ultraviolet light.
Glow Down Deep goes into the depths of the ocean to find sea dwellers that use the power of light – or the semblance of light – to survive. It could be for camouflage, mating, warding off predators or attracting prey. The Glowing Ocean, for example, is a type of bioluminescence that many humans can see. It occurs on the water surface when small planktonic surface dwellers – such as single-celled Dinoflagellates – are bioluminescent. Under the right conditions, they bloom in dense layers, giving the ocean surface a reddish-brown color in daylight and a sparkly sheen at night. Some of the Dinoflagellates in these algal blooms are poisonous to animals and can cause sickness or even death in humans.
Readers will learn about 23 organisms, their biology, what type of luminescence they use, where and how they survive. "Did You Know?" insets focus on unusual facts, like the sailors who followed the lights of Flashlight Fish to guide their boats through dangerous coral reefs at night; or the glowing Siphonophore Fish, one of the longest animals in the world, even longer than a blue whale!
Like its companion title, Nature at Night, Glow Down Deep takes a new look at how nature magically lights up the dark. Young readers will thrill at the striking cover and spend many an hour under the bedsheets marveling at the glowing illustrations.
Lisa Regan studied English and Linguistics at the University of Nottingham and gained a postgraduate diploma in Publishing at West Herts College. She has written over 400 books, including picture books, puzzle books and children's reference. She lives in Colchester, Essex.
"Who wouldn't like to read a book that glows in the dark?? Reading Nature at Night and its companion book Glow Down Deep: Amazing Creatures that Light Up was a fun experience! These books are a nice size, with larger-than-life, real-life images, giving the reader (best for ages 8 and up) a new appreciation for things that can "light up" or "glow down deep". Nature at Night focuses more on the forest, jungle, and ocean to find organisms that use luminescence for camouflage, mating, attracting prey, or keeping predators away. Glow Down Deep looks at sea creatures in the depths of the ocean and how they use their lights to help them survive. I also like the Did you know? feature on each page of the book that shares unusual facts and photographs; the glossary helps with some of the more scientific words."
– Stacey Widenhofer, Green Teacher Magazine on 01/01/2021
"A glow-in-the-dark book about amazing ocean creatures that actually light up in the darkness, is sure to be a hit. This picture book takes readers to the depths of the ocean to meet organisms big and small – and cute and creepy – that use the power of light to hunt, hide, attract a mate, or who knows what! Each two-page spread features a different creature, complete with eye-popping photos set against black pages, details on how and why they light up, and cool facts to trot out at recess. The accessible text includes pronunciation guides that will have children and adults alike sounding like scientists. Glow Down Deep is a book that shines a light on the often-hidden, awe-inspiring phenomena of bioluminescence, biofluorescence, and ultraviolet light."
– Raina Delisle, Hakai Magazine Newsletter on 03/12/2020
"Big, ghostly stock photos enhanced with glow-in-the-dark elements shed light on 22 sea creatures that exhibit either biofluorescence or bioluminescence. For readers a little hazy on the difference, Regan opens by defining the two terms and then, claiming that over 90 percent of all marine organisms feature one or the other, presents pithy but exact introductions paired to a riveting series of ultra–close-up portraits, dimly lit and placed against solid black backgrounds. From plankton, corals, and various kinds of jellies to the bounteously toothy likes of the dragonfish and viperfish, all of these creatures present a thrillingly exotic otherness – their angular lines or drifting, graceful tentacles enhanced by added dots and swirls of phosphorescent overlay (not seen). Happily, along with describing each animal's major features and typical habitat, the author carefully notes that most are smaller than they look here (krill, for instance, "are not much bigger than a paper clip"). She also has some news flashes for anyone who thinks that those undersea glimmers are used only to attract prey and mates [...] as it turns out, krill and hatchetfish employ "counter-illumination" as a defense, and some sea cucumbers can actually drive predators away by strobing like a "burglar alarm." From the lenticular squid writhing on the front cover on, rarely have denizens of the deep looked more eerily appealing. Young readers who take the dive will emerge with glowing reports."
– Kirkus on 16/06/2020
