The true story of the invention, disasters, and adventures of the first bathysphere—a small, cramped, bare-bones spherical deep-sea submersible that set the world record for deepest dive in 1934. Explorer William Beebe and engineering grad student Otis Barton teamed up despite mismatched personalities and disagreements and changed deep-sea exploration forever. Told through engaging rhyme, this playfully illustrated addition to the Unhinged History series follows their journey from frustrated inventors to international celebrities. The tiny bathysphere was miserable to be in, with terrible lighting, little room to move, stale air, and minuscule portholes—but still the scientist-adventurers went far under the waves to experience the mysterious waters as no one ever had. After near calamities and false starts, Beebe and Barton saw, for the very first time, deep-sea creatures in their home environment, broke world records, and made history. The backmatter, which includes the bathysphere’s schematic, a timeline of human diving progress, and a biography of Gloria Hollister (the first mate and recorder on deck), provides some heft. Per the series promise, a slightly “unhinged” celebration of daring diving developments. -- Kirkus Reviews nbsp;The word play is speedy and hits with a sense of ridiculousness while still sitting on fact and telling the tale of how the two men achieved their goals. It's never boring and raises more than a few eyebrows along the way. In other words, its a refreshing and fun way to bring across a piece of history. -- Bookworm for Kids As a veteran illustrator, Ted Enik has applied his versatility to original children's book art as well as popular characters. He recently switched hats and is now happily writing (and rhyming) up a storm. Illustrator/designer G. F. Newland has held a long chain of odd jobs over the years, and to pass the time he doodled. Some of them appear in this very book! Learn more about the aforementioned odd jobs and doodles here: www.gfnewland.com