Meandering with Mélina

Updated: Jan 7, 2019

This past week was amazing. I was awakened by the sonic boom of a meteor entering earth’s atmosphere. I walked around our small city lake with my family under the silvery bright Super Moon. And at my last book event of the year, I shared art activities inspired by nature from my book The Vast Wonder of the World: Biologist Ernest Everett Just. What a way to end 2018.

The meteor brought a huge dose of wonder. An object from beyond our world woke me up in the middle of the night—wow! It brought up all kinds of questions I’d never think about during my highly structured and predictable days, reminding me that this feeling, this sense of awe, is what fuels great writing for young readers.

The beauty of the moon reminded me of Ernest Everett Just’s meticulous work chronicling the possible lunar influence on sea creatures like marine worms. His consistency and perseverance inspired me as I researched, wrote, and waited for my book to become a reality. With the help of experts, friends, and family, after over five years, The Vast Wonder of the World: Biologist Ernest Everett Just is finally available for all to read, thanks to the wonderful artistic, editorial and production team at Millbrook Press.

Sharing art activities for Global Story Saturday with children’s authors Trần Thị Minh Phước and Karen Latchana Kenney reminded me of the connectedness of story. Representing several countries and cultures, we felt grateful to celebrate the power of the written word for children. Our works link us and the children we write for.

I’m thankful to have people like you in my life—people who care about our world, about our children, and about books.