Meet Sue Gallion, Author of OUR UNDERWATER WORLD

Science rocks! And so does this latest STEAM book from Sue Lowell Gallion highlighting our underwater ecosystems. Sue is also the author of Our World and Our Seasons, beautifully illustrated by Lisk Feng. Welcome, Sue! Tell us about the inspiration for this latest oversized board book, OUR UNDERWATER WORLD: A FIRST DIVE INTO OCEANS, LAKES, AND RIVERS, published by Phaidon Press.

Hi, Nancy! This book grew out of a spread that had to be cut from my first book with Phaidon Press and illustrator Lisk Feng. To me, one of the hardest parts of writing nonfiction is the fascinating research you don’t have room to include! But sometimes that does lead to a whole new project. Early manuscripts of Our World: A First Book of Geography, included a spread on the geography of the ocean floor, which is so fascinating. But there are only 13 spreads in these books, and about 1,000 words! As we tightened the focus, we decided to take that spread out. I started thinking about an underwater book right away. When I researched the market, I found many books focused either on saltwater or freshwater habitats. I wanted to introduce young kids to both through this novelty format.

Like your other titles with Phaidon, OUR UNDERWATER WORLD opens out to a 3D freestanding globe. The design is exquisite. Can you tell us if this was something you came up with or a talented art director?

I came up with the idea of a globe-shaped book on the world during an SCBWI workshop on board books led by Ariel Richardson of Chronicle. We had brainstorming time to play with paper, scissors, and tape, which was a great creativity exercise. She encouraged attendees to consider submitting a dummy with a manuscript including ideas for novelty elements, without worrying about cost or production challenges. Phaidon Press was interested in the concept, although it took more than a year of production research on their part and text revision on my part before they offered me a contract. My Phaidon editors had been looking for a project to work on with Lisk Feng, also, and thought this was a fit. I feel so lucky to be part of the entire team. Phaidon does such creative and beautiful books for kids as well as adults. The magnetic closures on the front and back covers of the globe books are especially ingenious. Librarians have loved these books partly because they make such great displays and are such fun for kids to browse.

Did you face any challenges writing this book? I live in Kansas City, about as far from any saltwater habitat as you can get, so this was remote research, unfortunately. I started researching this book just before the pandemic made us all homebound. It was a great escape, but I also kept wondering when I would see any of these habitats in person again! I am determined to go somewhere where I can snorkel in 2024. One of our goals with these books is to showcase ecosystems in many different areas of the world, especially those that are lesser known. It can be harder to find information and visual resources for the illustrator with these. With such an enormous topic, narrowing down the information is probably the biggest challenge. Nonfiction rhyme is also tricky, especially in the revision stages.

As a stand-up title, this book is so great for a classroom nonfiction display. Please tell teachers of other ways they can use this book in the classroom. The interactive secondary text offers lots of opportunity for discussion or additional research by students. It also identifies most of the locations around the world shown in the illustrations. One of my favorite spreads shows the Sundarban mangrove forests in Bangladesh and India, where the Bengal tigers swim in search of prey. The conclusion of the book also challenges readers to find out more about the underwater ecosystems nearest to where they live, whether it’s a creek or one of the Great Lakes. I hope it is a good springboard for conversation as well as conservation projects. I also encourage using these books for creativity exercises in nonfiction writing. Students can create nonfiction books of their own with novelty elements like lift-the-flaps or even textures, or come up with their own book shapes to convey concept. Working with paper, tape, and scissors usually sparks ideas for me.

You have written some wonderfully fun picture books along with this series. What is next for you, Sue Lowell Gallion? Can you give us a hint?

I’ve just turned in final (??) revisions for another book in this series with Phaidon. This time we are leaving Earth behind us, so that’s been fascinating research. I’ve been working on a new character-based picture book with a nature twist that’s out on submission now, so fingers crossed! Thanks, Nancy, for this opportunity to share with your readers!

Sue Lowell Gallion writes for children because she is passionate about kids, reading, and any combination of the two! Her nonfiction board books illustrated by Lisk Feng -- Our World, A First Book of Geography, and Our Seasons, The World in Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn -- received a shout-out from The Horn Book Magazine as "new and innovative." Our World was named a best book of 2020 by Parents Magazine, and included in The Washington Post holiday gift guide. Sue writes both fiction and nonfiction for kids, including board books, picture books, and early readers. She’s also the author of the award-winning Pug Meets Pig picture book series illustrated by Joyce Wan. Sue shares books with kids every week through Lead to Read KC, a non-profit matching adult mentor readers with primary students in area urban schools. She lives in Leawood, KS.