Skip to content
FREE SHIPPING ON ALL DOMESTIC ORDERS $35+
FREE SHIPPING ON ALL US ORDERS $35+
Catastrophe by the Sea - Paperback | Diverse Reads

Catastrophe by the Sea

Availability:
in stock, ready to be shipped
$9.99 - $9.99
$9.99
$11.99
$11.99 - $11.99
$11.99
From revered nature writer Brenda Peterson and told through striking and vibrant mixed-media collages by Caldecott Medalist Ed Young, Catastrophe by the Sea is a poignant story of redemption through empathy and compassion found in the most surprising places, and also provides a rich understanding of small creatures that live in a dangerous tidal zone.

A lost cat roams the tide pools, pawing relentlessly at the small creatures that live there. One day an anemone confronts him and asks why he is alone and befriends him. In partnership with the Seattle Aquarium, Catastrophe by the Sea delivers a powerful message of finding understanding and friendship, and at the same time educates on the varied wildlife brimming in tide pools.

“For several years, the Seattle Aquarium has studied the role of empathy in promoting conservation. Empathy is the ability to perceive, understand and care about the experiences or perspectives of another person or animal. We most often feel empathy for other people, but we can also feel empathy for animals. This led us to the idea of a children’s book. Animals are regular protagonists in children’s books, but these characters are primarily vertebrates and often charismatic mammals. Could we create a book that would allow kids and their caregivers to empathize with strange and exotic marine animals, like sea anemones or barnacles? We hope this book strikes a chord with audiences and fosters empathy for animals less like us.” —Jim Wharton, director of conservation engagement and learning at the Seattle Aquarium

ISBN-13: 9781513141695

Media Type: Paperback

Publisher: West Margin Press

Publication Date: 11-28-2023

Pages: 36

Product Dimensions: 11.00h x 8.50w x 0.11d

Age Range: 6 - 9 Years

Brenda Peterson is a novelist, memoirist, nature writer, children’s book author, conservationist, and educator. For the past two decades she has studied and written about animals and nature, and is the founder of Seal Sitters She lives in Seattle, Washington. Visit her at brendapetersonbooks.com.Ed Young has been honored the Caldecott Medal for his illustrations and has published over 80 books for children. Born in Tientsin, China, he graduated from Art Center in Pasadena, California, and has taught art at several universities, including Pratt, Yale, Naropa, and UC Santa Cruz. Ed believes challenge and growth are central to his illustrations and hopes to expand awareness through them. He lives in New York. Visit him at edyoungart.com.

Read an Excerpt

Can empathy inspire conservation and bring us closer to nature?

The marine world is a strange and wonderful place to explore. Life beneath the waves may be the strangest of all. Ocean creatures look very different and lead diverse lives. This biodiversity strengthens the system—but can make it hard for us to feel connected to these alien beings. Empathy asks us to swim a mile in their fins. This helps us see and feel what we have in common with even the strangest of ocean creatures. Feeling connected to ocean animals includes them in our circle of concern, so we care and conserve them.

What began with an idea from the team at the Seattle Aquarium to develop a tool that would help build empathy in Aquarium guests led to a fruitful collaboration and this beautiful book. Storytelling is one of the most powerful empathy-building tools; it invites us to step into the tale and experience the story alongside our characters. We hope you enjoy exploring the tide pools with Catastrophe and feel just a little closer to this captivating aquatic world."