* Contacting Eric Isselée, the photographer who founded Life on White and did the
cover photograph for Get the Scoop on Animal Poop, was at the top of my photo research to-do list.  His studio's answer was fast and disappointing. Yes, they had many photographs of vomiting animals, but they moved so quickly when puking that the photos were out of focus and unusable. Major disappointment!

* In case you care: there's no vomit on the front cover.  It's a mix of oatmeal, dog food, green peas, fresh-cut yard grass, egg white, and milk bubbles. The original
cover used a puke-like blob shape to illustrate the concept, but a large beta testing group said the puke should look real, not fake.  

* Beta testing the book with more than 200 elementary students was a wonderful, enriching experience. When a book is coming together, it's easy to be distracted by hundreds of editorial and production details. What matters most, though, is how a book will be experienced by its true audience, children. 

* The book was discussed in a Public Radio International Science Friday show 
on children's literacy. In one segment, guests Jacob Berkowitz and Maria Popova listed their favorite science books for kids, and Get the Scoop on Animal Puke was one of them.  Read more and listen to the broadcast here.  

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FUN FACTS

Get the Scoop on Animal Puke, published by Charlesbridge/Imagine,​ 8x10, 80 pages,
ISBN 978-1623540456

AWARDS:

​Scientists’ Bookshelf Best Kids Books of the Year List
2015 National Science Teacher’s Association
    Outstanding Science Trade Book List
2015 Animal Behavior Society’s Outstanding 
   Children’s Book Award finalist