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| Exploring an Ocean-Floor Ecosystem |
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| Gorgeous painterly art and gentle, lyrical prose combine to bring a little-known, deep-sea ecosystem to life for young readers. Meet the fascinating community of creatures, from amphipods and zombie worms to squat lobsters and sea pigs, that depends on a decaying whale for shelter and sustenance for up to 50 years. |
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| Behind the Book |
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| “In 2019, I stumbled upon an article about zombie worms, aka bone-eating snot flower worms, while writing a book called Ick! Delightfully, Disgusting Animals Dinners, Dwellings, and Defenses. I included some information about them in the Dwellings section of that book (dozens of tiny males live inside each female), but I knew I wanted to write more about these unusual marine worms one day. So I tacked the article to my Idea Board as a reminder. |
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| “Sometimes notes and articles stay on my Idea Board for a long time, but when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, all my school visits were cancelled and I had plenty of time for research. As I began reading more about zombie worms, my mind was blown. I was completely captivated by the incredible collection of critters that live in, on, and around a whale fall. I knew I had to write a book about them. |
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| “I often spend years trying to find just the right structure for a book, but in this case, I knew immediately that a chronological sequence structure would be the perfect choice. This allowed me to write the book in just a few months. |
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| “My critique group loved the manuscript, and encouraged me to send it out right away. Often, it can take many months to hear back from editors, but this time, I heard back the very next day. She loved the book and wanted to acquire it right away. I was thrilled. |
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| “And when she sent me samples of Rob Dunlavey’s stunning artwork, I was even more excited. I knew he was the perfect artist to illustrate the book.” |
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| by Melissa Stewart |
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| illus by Rob Dunlavey |
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| Random House Studio, 2023 |
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| ISBN 978-0-593-38060-4 |
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| Purchase this book at your local independent bookseller or Amazon.com. |
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