Spending time with plankton
I’m finally getting my teeth into the next RYA book; it always takes a while to find the way in to a new subject, but once I get my brain engaged it tends to take over. The studio is filling up with piles of books and notes and I’m starting to think about chapter headings in the shower. But it’s hard to go for total immersion in a subject at this time of year when there are Christmas exhibitions to get ready for and I should be making stuff. Half finished projects sit reproachfully in heaps on my studio table.
So what’s the new book about? It’s about the oceans, ecology, sailing cleanly, wildlife, geography, beachcombing, not polluting rivers and seas…. presented in a way that will grab children’s attention. Fascinating but challenging. It’s taking me a while to get the structure of it sorted out in a logical way, with the encouraging and tactful support of Susie Tomson, my editor and the inspiration behind the Green Blue. Just don’t ask me what the title is – several suggestions are floating round between all concerned so when the dust has settled I’ll let you know. I’m on version four of the cover design so far and think I’m getting close!
Meanwhile, did you know that the second largest fish in the world is the basking shark – and it can be seen in UK waters? Or that over a million birds die every year from entanglement or ingestion of rubbish? Food for thought.
Oh, and the plankton? They provide 50% of the world’s oxygen, that’s all……. something to consider next time you swallow a mouthful of seawater!