20,000 Leagues Under the Sea : Happy Birthday Google Doodle Jules Verne

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea : My first encounter with Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, however, sent my imagination into hyper drive.I first found the novel while browsing through a random aisle in my local library. The cover was dark, murky and a little worn—but it was the most spectacular thing I’d ever seen. A pair of old-fashioned divers drag their feet over the ocean floor, watching a school of fish drift by. They don’t seem to notice the twisting silhouette of a monster inching toward them.The cover alone pulled me in, but I didn’t want to spoil all of the possible story lines by actually reading the book.

Looking back, I realize that what fascinated me most was the unknown: a creative spark and the imaginative exploration that followed. Since then, I’ve become more familiar with his work and still believe that exploration is the essence of Verne’s novels. His stories pull the readers into a world filled with infinite potential—be it in the clouds, on land or under the sea.
Now you can use that worldwide communications network to learn more about Verne, download free audio versions of his books and dive 20,000 leagues under the sea.

Today’s Google Doodle honoring Verne is designed to appear like the portholes of a submarine – one that you can guide by either using the joystick to the right of the Doodle (if you’re on a PC) or by tilting your iPad or iPhone.

If you’re playing with Google’s Doodle alongside your kids, here’s a fun game for them (and you). Dive all the way down to the ocean floor and see what you can spot. There are lots of cool things to look at as you explore the deep blue, and when you hit the bottom, see if you can align the portholes with the coral on the ocean floor. It’s also made to spell Google.