Brewster Book Store: Children’s Author Event with nonfiction master Melissa Stewart

In person at Brewster Book Store! Celebrate the release of Melissa Stewart’s latest nonfiction picture book, Whale Fall! Meet Melissa for a book signing and ecology-focused activity. ABOUT THE BOOK This fascinating nonfiction picture book filled with stunning illustrations details the end of life for a whale, also known as a whale fall, when its body sinks to the ocean floor and becomes an energy-rich food source for organisms living in the deep sea. When a whale dies, its massive body silently sinks down, down, through the inky darkness, finally coming to rest on the silty seafloor. For the whale, it’s the end of a 70-year-long life. But for a little-known community of deep-sea dwellers, it’s a new beginning. First come the hungry hagfish, which can smell the whale from miles around. Then the sleeper sharks begin their prowl, feasting on skin and blubber. After about six months, the meat is gone. Year after year, decade after decade, the whale nourishes all kinds of organisms from zombie worms to squat lobsters to deep-sea microbes. This completely fascinating real-life phenomenon is brought to vivid and poetic life by nonfiction master Melissa Stewart and acclaimed illustrator Rob Dunlavey. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Melissa Stewart has written more than 200 science books for children, and is a recipient of the Sibert Honor for excellence in nonfiction. While gathering information for her books, Melissa has hiked in tropical rain forests, gone on safari in Africa, and swum with sea lions in the Galapagos Islands. She can’t imagine any better job. www.melissa-stewart.com