Sabrina Weiss is the author of the new picture book Ocean: Secrets of the Deep. She is based in London.
Q: How did you come up with the idea for Ocean: Secrets of
the Deep?
A: [Illustrator] Giulia De Amicis and I met while volunteering with a
marine research nonprofit in southern Mozambique. We spent our weekdays
designing infographics and creating booklets to give out government officials
and the public. On weekends, we were lucky enough to dive with the animals that
we had been describing in those materials: the manta rays and whale sharks.
When we both moved back to the UK, we started brainstorming
ideas for the Ocean book and soon came to realise that there are so many
stories and facts that people just don't know about. Having been passionate
about the ocean from a very young age, I'm still amazed every time when I learn
about a new species. Here's some background.
Q: Of all the animals and plants you write about in the book,
are there any that especially fascinate you?
A: I like all things, big and small. But humpback whales and
dolphins still amaze me every time I see them. They are so incredibly gracious,
gentle and curious. It's really special when you are allowed into their world
and enjoy a short encounter.
I'm actually packing my bags now to head back to Mozambique,
the first time after three years. I hear the humpback whales have already
arrived in the coast along Tofo, the small fishing village where Giulia and I
lived. Every year, these whales travel thousands of kilometres from their
feeding grounds in the Antarctic to the warm waters of Mozambique to breed and
have their young. Fingers crossed that I will get to meet some of them again
underwater!
Q: What do you think Giulia De Amicis's illustrations add to
the book?
A: Giulia's artwork is really great for kids with a curious
mind. The animal illustrations are beautiful, of course, but it the way they
are presented within the environment, with facts, figures and scales that I
think children can really learn a lot. There are so many things to explore in
the book. I hope that some kids will pick up the book and enjoy the
illustrations and maybe another day, they'll read the same pages again and dig
a little deeper.
Q: What do you hope kids take away from the book?
A: I hope it inspires them to learn more about the ocean and
its fascinating inhabitants - even better, if they share the newly-acquired
knowledge with their family and friends. Some might be excited to learn more
about marine science at school, some will want to experience this mysterious
world for themselves.
I also hope that it will inspire some change. The ocean is
so important to us humans and we need to protect it. When sitting and
picnicking by the beach, for instance, we should always be reminded to leave no
trace and keep it clean.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I'm currently working on a new children's book
exploring the incredible islands of our world.
I recently learned about Tristan da Cunha, for example, the
world's remotest inhabited island. It takes six days by boat to get there from
Cape Town. It's actually a group of islands, only two of which are inhabited. A
small island called Gough doesn't have a settlement per se, but it has a permanent
weather station with six staff living there. Isn't that fascinating?
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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