A bowl full of jellies

 

Jellyfish Scientist: Maude Delap and Her Mesmerizing Medusas 

by Michelle Cusolito; illus. by Ellen Rooney

32 pages; ages 7-10

Charlesbridge, 2025 

theme: biography, nonfiction, jellyfish  

Welcome to the craggy coast of Ireland. The lady rowing her currach into the surf is Maude Delap. She’s a scientist collecting specimens.

And with that introduction, we’re headed out to sea with Maude to collect compass jellyfish. Why? Because no one has ever watched a jellyfish go through a complete lifecycle. So Maude intends to raise one in captivity. Sounds easy: fill a tank with sea water and watch. But the water has to be freshened frequently, and then there’s the issue of feeding the jellies – what do they even eat?

What I like about this book: So much! Starting with the end pages, which show the life cycle of a jellyfish. Then there's the title with marvelous alliteration: mesmerizing medusas. I like the journal headings, like on the first page where it says June 21, 1899 ~ Day 1. And the almost-last page where it says July 8, 1900 ~ Day 383. I love the language of the jellyfish observations: Pump, sway. Pump, sway. I admire Maude’s determination and dedication. And there is back matter! Author Michelle Cusolito includes additional information about jellyfish and Maude Delap, plus an author’s note about how she came to write this book. Illustrator, Ellen Rooney pens her own notes about the research she did to inform her artwork – including a trip to the New England Aquarium in Boston so she could watch (and sketch) jellyfish swimming. 

I had so much fun reading about the jellies that I just had to ask Michelle one question.

Me: How did you come to land on the journal style for your book?

Photo credit: Alison Noyce

Michelle: This book went through many iterations with varied approaches. Landing on the voice and structure took a long time. From April of 2020 until February of 2021, there were no headings like you see in the final book. Then, in February of 2021, I started trying out headings to help emphasize the passage of time. My initial headings were JUNE, THE NEXT DAY, SIX DAYS LATER, NINE AND A HALF MONTHS LATER, etc. They weren’t quite working, but I didn’t have a solution yet.

And then there was a large gap until I was able to get back to the manuscript. I got the news that I’d be going to sea with Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. I had to prepare for two weeks of quarantine (in April of 2021—still during Covid) followed by our time on the ship, so all of my attention turned to prepping for the voyage and researching for the book I would write for middle schoolers about the expedition. I was gone for five and a half weeks. When I returned, I needed to actually write that book, so Maude still had to wait.  I didn’t return to Maude’s story until 11 months later, in January of 2022. By then, I had submitted the manuscript for A Window into the Ocean Twilight Zone: Twenty-Four Days of Science at Sea to my editor, so I had time to spend with Maude.

I added the journal style headings on March 4, 2022. I don't recall the exact moment when I thought to add them, but I'm certain my work on A Window into the Ocean Twilight Zone impacted my thinking. That book documents our time at sea and uses the same kind of headings. I’m sure that made the idea click for me.

Here’s something that might be helpful to other writers: Some of my headings in that March 4, 2022 version looked like this:  April 3-4, 1900 (Day XX). I didn’t want to derail my revision process by stopping to calculate the days, so I simply put XX to remind myself to do it later. I use this strategy often when I don’t have an exact number or fact I need, but I don’t want to stop to research or calculate. I know that uses a different part of my brain and getting back to the creative writing brain takes too long.

Thank you, Michelle, for sharing that bit of wisdom for us! Michelle is a member of #STEAMTeam2025. You can find out more about her at her website,  www.michellecusolito.com You’ll find reviews of her other books right here on the blog – just put her name into the search bar on the right.

Beyond the Books:

Find some jellyfish to watch. Ideally, you could watch some at an aquarium, but if you can’t travel to one, check out these videos at National Geographic and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Illustrator Ellen Rooney says that sketching is a great way to study nature. “Once you draw something, you understand it in a new way…” whether it’s a jellyfish at an aquarium or a bird outside your window. So grab some paper and pencils and do some sketching. 

Make some jellyfish crafts – you’ll find plenty of ideas here, including how to create a jellyfish costume!

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Thanks for dropping by today. On Monday we'll be hanging out at Marvelous Middle Grade Monday with other  bloggers. It's over at Greg Pattridge's blog, Always in the Middle, so hop over to see what other people are reading. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Explore Outdoors ~ Treetop Fungi

 During an early spring storm, a couple of small branches blew down from the oaks lining the driveway. I always enjoy looking at what's growing on them - usually a fun selection of lichens and other fungi that are too high to see. They resemble the sorts of things one might find clinging to driftwood at the ocean's edge. Sometimes the treetop fungi look just as surprised to see me as I am to see them.

Next time the wind blows down branches from a tree, check out what's growing on them!

Stories Start with a Seed

 As a gardener, I’m always looking for new picture books about seeds, gardens, and the gardeners who plant them. 

themes: seeds, science, perseverance

     

Beansprout 

Art and words by Sarah Lynne Reul 

48 pages; ages 4-7

Charlesbridge, 2025 

This book opens with students gathered on a rug as their teacher says, “In this paper bag.. I have one hundred secrets. One hundred tiny surprises. Because this bag contains one hundred … Mystery Seeds!”

Each student chooses a seed to plant. They draw what they think will grow, and water their seed, and watch and wait for something to poke up out of the soil. Everyone’s seed sprouts except for Ben’s. The sprouts grow into seedlings, but not the nothing in Ben’s pot.  And then Ben discovers the bag filled with seeds that weren’t chosen and comes up with a new idea.

What I like about this book: As one who has planted seeds that haven’t germinated, I identify with Ben! I, too, have wondered when something – anything – will sprout. I like how Sarah Lynne Reul shows Ben’s excitement at planting time, his dismay – and then second-guessing his seed’s (and his) worth – and his teacher explaining that “sometimes things don’t grow and we don’t know the reason why.” I love that even as Ben considers never planting another thing, he discovers the bag of leftover seeds teetering on the edge of the teacher’s desk, way too close to the garbage can! I love the back matter: what is a seed? How does a seed know when to grow? What can you do if a seed doesn’t grow? 

And I really, really LOVE the art! Sarah’s illustrations are done in mixed media, with watercolor paints, tissue paper prints, and collage. The edges are cleanly cut, not torn, and give the feel of more than 2-D.  Make sure you spend time with the front AND back end papers!

Not only is March the perfect time to be thinking of seeds to plant, it’s Women’s History Month. And I have the perfect book, which was published last year - today I’m celebrating its One Year Anniversary.

Gifts from Georgia's Garden: How Georgia O'Keeffe Nourished Her Art 

by Lisa Robinson; illus. by Hadley Hooper 

‎40 pages; ages 4-8

Neal Porter Books, 2024  

Georgia painted flowers so lush and large they filled the canvas – petunias, poppies, lilies, and more…

But she was also a gardener who tended her crops using organic methods, planting marigolds to protect her plants from pests. And while she waited for her seeds to sprout, she painted. She raised her food, sewed her clothes, ground grain for bread – and all the while painted the skulls and bones and things she found in nature.

What I like about this book: Lisa Robinson shows that the act of tending her garden and feeding friends inspired Georgia O’Keefe’s art. I like that back matter shares more about Georgia O’Keefe and some of the basic concepts of sustainable gardening: conserving water, companion planting, attracting beneficial insects, and composting. There’s also a recipe to try.

Beyond the Books:

Plant some seeds. Think about things you like: beans, flowers, carrots … maybe a pumpkin? Before you plant your seed, take a good look at it and write down some of the things you notice. 

Watch your plants grow! Draw pictures of what you see as your plant grows. What do the leaves look like? How tall does it grow? When does it begin to flower? Do any insects hang out on your plant, eat the leaves, or gather pollen from the flower? NOTE: if you don’t plant any seeds, or if your seeds don’t grow, you can “adopt” a plant you find already growing – maybe in a neighborhood garden or park.

my attempt at a poppy!

Paint a flower ~ or make a collage of a flower in the style of  Georgia O’Keefe. She painted her flowers large, so viewers could really see the details. Look into the center of the flower and think: how can I show this using paint or paper? Or both? Then make art!

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copies provided by the publishers.

Explore Outdoors ~ a point of view

 

 What do you notice

when you get eye-to-leaf

with a plant growing 

from the ground 

up?

 

 

When a Tree Falls....

 

When a Tree Falls: Nurse Logs and Their Incredible Forest Power 

by Kirsten Pendreigh; illus. by Elke Boschinger 

44 pages; ages 6-9

Chronicle Books, 2025

theme: trees, ecology, nonfiction

A tall tree suns and sways. She is a place to grow, to rest, to shelter.

Over time and seasons we see what animals nest on the boughs, chip into the bark and, after the tree crashes to the forest floor, hide beneath the fallen trunk. Using lyrical language, Kirsten Pendreigh shows readers how the fallen tree nurtures new life.

What I like about this book:

The language is beautiful and spare – just enough words to convey meaning without cluttering up the page. This leaves lots of room for the beautiful illustrations by Elke Boschinger. I love how she tucks fungi along the edge of the tree, and the details of the mosses growing on the trunk – these are the same things I find on fallen trunks in the woods behind my house.

I like the arc of the story, which spans many years over which children grow into adults with their own children, who they bring into the forest to admire the trees. And I really like that Kirsten includes back matter that explains what nurse logs are, how they nurture new life, and how they keep the forest healthy. 

Kirsten graciously answered a Couple Questions: 

Me: When did you know you had to write this story about Doug fir and hemlock?

photo by Carrie Marshall

Kirsten: I've been fascinated by nurse logs since I first moved to the West Coast 30 years ago. Trees growing out of other trees! I felt there was something profound happening, and noticed how kids gravitated to these tree nurseries. About six years ago, while hiking the trails near my home, a refrain came into my head and became kind of an incantation. "A tall tree suns and sways...she is a place to grow, to rest, to shelter." The words kept building and became a life cycle story I was excited to write, and share with little ones.

Me: I love that you say in back matter that all species are connected and we all need to help one another. Did this guide your writing of this book?

Kirsten: I'm not sure it guided the writing but it was just organically there all along. I didn't know when I started writing that Douglas firs themselves typically don't grow out of nurse logs even though nurse logs in this part of the world are typically fallen Douglas firs! Western hemlocks are the most common species to grow out of Douglas fir nurse logs, so right there is a clear example of a deep connection. I learned that nurse logs help salmon survive, when they fall across streams they create sheltered pools for young salmon to grow. We are starting to understand how crucial it is to have diversity in the forest; how webs of life depend on a variety of species, how single species stands of trees are not as resilient as diverse forests. The more you look, the more you see these interconnections in nature. There is such strength in diversity. I hope it's an understanding people can take beyond the forest.

Beyond the Books:

Observe a tree. Describe what does it look like from far away. Now get under it and look up. How would you describe it? Draw a picture or take photos of your tree from different points of view. 

Examine a fallen log. What do you notice growing on the trunk? What about beneath it? Can you tell what kind of tree it is and how old it is? Are there any baby trees growing on it?

Stand tall like a tree. Here’s a video showing a kid-friendly yoga “tree pose.” Can you feel yourself rooting into the earth?

Kirsten is a member of #STEAMTeam2025. You can find out more about her at her website, www.kirstenpendreigh.com

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copy provided by the publishers.

Explore Outdoors ~ look up!

 

 

 

What do you see 

when you look up into the trees?

What trees and shrubs

are breaking into bloom?

 

Spring is a Season for Hatching!

themes: Animals, nature, growing up, eggs

Watching and Waiting: What Hatches from Nature's Nurseries

By Sara Levine

32 pages; ages 4-8

Millbrook Press, 2025  

When you find something interesting and beautiful 

… what should you do? Should you poke it and prod it? Open it up to see what’s inside? Granted, that is the way curious naturalists discover things. But if you open things up, then what’s inside won’t grow anymore, says Sara Levine. So maybe you could wait?

What I like about this book: Using gentle, lyrical language, Sara ponders how one might observe nature without harming it. In particular, she offers strategies for watching how eggs develop and waiting to see what hatches out. She draws examples from birds, insects, amphibians, and reptiles. Back matter discusses what eggs are, egg cases and galls, and how to be an “observational scientist” – something anyone can do. The photos are gorgeous and will have children looking closer to study the details.

Sara is a member of #STEAMTeam2025. You can find out more about her at her website, www.saralevinebooks.com She's also a guest author joining me at the 5th Annual Arthropod Roundtable over on the GROG Blog on April 16. 

Butterflies come from eggs. But what happens when they grow up?

When a Butterfly Goes to School (Board Book)

by Laura Purdie Salas; illus. by Chloe Niclas 

7 spreads

‎Creative Editions, 2025

What does a butterfly do at school all day? From art class to science, story time to lunchtime we follow swallowtail and her friends.

What I like about this book: I have to confess that I loved the lunch break the best – the butterflies zip and sip their way through the flowers. The luscious artwork supports lyrical prose as the words ask us to suspend reality and join a butterfly on a normal day at butterfly school.

Beyond the Books:

Go on a gall walk. You can find round galls on the stems of goldenrod, bumpy galls on leaves, and fluffy galls on leaves as well. Find out more about galls – and see some examples – here and here.

Birds aren’t the only animals to lay eggs. Find out what other animals lay eggs, and what kind of eggs they lay. 

If you were a butterfly, what sort of things would you learn at school? What might you do in art class? In science? At story time? At play time?

Today we’re joining Perfect Picture Book Friday. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copies provided by the publishers.

Explore Outdoors ~ Spring Bingo

 

 

 

Here's a few links to get you started:

How to measure a raindrop 

Follow a bumble bee 

listen to bird songs 

Peek under a log