Researching her next book, Sy visits with her buddy Fire Chief, a snapping turtle who is in rehab at a turtle hospital. “Fire Chief looks as big as a dinosaur, but he’s gentle as a puppy,” says Sy. “Here we are at Turtle Rescue League doing physical therapy to help strengthen his legs. He was injured when a truck ran him over.”
“Thank you, Matt Patterson for the photo, and Alexxia Bell, Natasha Nowick and Michaela Conder for the great care all the turtles get at Turtle Rescue League.”
Becoming a bestseller. On Sunday, January 17, Becoming a Good Creature will nuzzle its way on to The New York Times Bestseller List for Children’s Picture Books at number 8. Sy thanks Rebecca Green for her superb illustrations and the Salt Project for its beautiful video. If you haven’t seen it, check it out here.
“I learned animals matter.” Sy recently visited The Well School in Peterborough, New Hampshire, via Google Meet. She spoke to two groups of students: Kindergarten through the 4th grade, and then 5th through 8th grade. They had questions about almost every animal on earth, and – no surprise – Sy has met many, many of these animals. They learned about sloths, tigers, sharks, Sy’s dog Thurber, and most of all they learned, as one student said, that “animals matter.”
Oil and acrylic on stretched canvas by Megan Dalziel
Inspired. After reading The Soul of an Octopus, artist Megan Dalziel created this stunning painting showing how the wonder of consciousness connects all life. The combination of an octopus with an extinct triceratops represents the vast diversity of life that has existed on earth. Sy is honored that her book inspired this thoughtful artwork.