I really love the “story behind the story” of this sweet book! Before I wrote books for kids, I worked as a scientist in laboratories around the country. So…I love me a good science museum! One of my favorites is the Cook Museum of Natural History in Decatur, AL. This museum is small but mighty, and one of the first that I’ve found to outline the “central dogma” of molecular biology in a way that’s accessible for kids.
One of the rooms in the museum is modeled after a temperate forest and displays the flora and fauna that can be found in that biome. As I browsed through this section, my attention was captured by a video playing on a loop. The footage was from a wildlife camera set up to capture one angle – a fallen tree trunk spanning a large creek. I was captivated by the variety of animals who used this “bridge” throughout the year. When I realized that so many opposites could be found in the video – dark/light, over/under, small/large, and so many more – I knew I was onto something.
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