When I received the manuscript for If You Lived in the Sea, Who Would You Be?, I counted about 30 animals. I had to find their scientific names so I could portray them accurately and put them in their natural habitats. For example, West Indian Manatees (Trichechus manatus) can live in Florida, in shallow water, not in deep water. They swim slowly in groups, feeding on seagrass in salt water, or sometimes they move into fresh water where they eat “true” grasses.
Most of the animals mentioned in the manuscript have relationships with other animals that are not mentioned. These were more complicated to get to know, like the Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasses (Labroides dimidiatus). They feed on, or clean, the parasites and organic debris from the skin and teeth of other fish. They create “cleaning stations” on coral reefs in and around the the Indian Ocean. I eventually paired the Wrasses with a Giant Moray Eel (Gymnothorax javanicus) because both animals are native to the reefs in the Red Sea. Also, I really wanted to illustrate a Moray Eel! She looks happy and gentle while she’s at the dentist!
When I finished the illustrations I did a final count of the species. 36 in a lead role and 22 in a supporting role = 58 species!!! That’s a lot of research and planning to create a good composition on every page! While you read this book, notice what the animals are doing and where they live, and how they are different from or similar to the other animals. We can admire these sea creatures. They all have a different role on Earth’s ocean stage.
Meg Sodano - Illustration & Design 