Happy World Sea Turtle Day!
Celebrate with Save the…Turtles, and discover things like:
Which sea turtle is the largest turtle in the world? (The leatherback)
How do sea turtles navigate thousands of miles of open ocean to return to the beach where they were hatched? (We’re still figuring this out! But sunlight and the earth’s magnetic fields may play a role.)
How often does a sea turtle leave the water? (A female–just to lay her egg. A male–never after it reaches the water after hatching).
How can knocking down sandcastles, turning off lights, and reducing plastic waste help sea turtles? (Read the book to find out!)
Read MoreHappy Book Birthday to Save the…Turtles!
It’s publication day for Save the…Turtles, the book that introduced me to the term “chelonian.” Meet Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise and the oldest living land animal…find out how turtles breathe through their butts (it’s true, they do)…and learn about the Wijsen sisters, teenage environmental activists. “Written in an engaging, easy-to-read style, this series works for both research and personal reading,” says Booklist.
Read MoreA Summer Poem
I’ve been working lately on a collection of poems united by themes of the natural world, the seasons, and clothing or textiles. Yep, clothes. Just a thing I’m playing with.
Since summer has arrived in Maine all in a rush (time to get the flannel sheets off the bed, I guess), I’m sharing one of my summer poems.
Small World
What does a worm wear?
miles of earth
deep dark tunnels
cool soft spaces
What does a firefly wear?
dim purple twilight
an endless hush
between dawn and dusk
What does a mosquito wear?
the sharpest sword
What does a cricket wear?
music
What does a honeybee wear?
heavy golden dusk
slow summer days
sweetness
Read More
Ziphius
This morning I sent off to my agent an outline for a sequel to The Griffin’s Boy. If I get the go-ahead to write it, I hope will heavily feature a legendary water creature, the ziphius or water owl.
With a beaked face and a sharp dorsal fin, it could attack ships by puncturing them or gnawing on them. A delightful and little known creature…I do hope I get the chance to include it in a book. Fingers crossed, everybody!
Read MoreSarah L. Thomson
A children’s book author publishing award-winning nonfiction, poetry, picture books and novels including…
“Readers will treasure the blossoming friendship between opposites in this whimsically illustrated tale. Short chapters and plenty of action make for an accessible and appealing reading experience. . . . Touching and inspiring.”
—Kirkus Reviews