Hi all! This post was scheduled to publish while I was away on a well-earned holiday. I returned to discover that the tech gods were also on holiday that week. Oh well, better late than never. It’s International Day ... Read More  

I am so glad that World Oceans Day is finally here! I’ve been holding on to some truly AMAZING ocean info – info we cut from Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth due to concerns it was ... Read More  

When I started research for Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth, I knew that Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to climate change. I didn’t know that they are also particularly vulnerable to pollution. It’s World ... Read More  

How does an author known for books about history, social justice and sports write a book about science and superheroes?  By calling up her past. I never studied science, and I’m certainly not a superhero (I don’t think), but as ... Read More  

This book was a collaboration from the beginning. Ideas for words and images exchanged between friends. On a warm summer day, as Frieda and I relaxed in her beautiful garden, we noticed birds and insects whizzing and settling among the ... Read More  

Today is World Migratory Bird Day, making it the perfect day to talk about terns - the champion migrators of the biological world. Adult terns weigh about 100 g, and every year, they make round-trip journeys of up to ... Read More  

First things first! I'm doing a free Polar presentation with Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants today at 12:30 Eastern. Head over to their YouTube channel to watch. You can also catch the recording on demand. And remember ... Read More  

Polar is about animal adaptations - the behaviours, body parts, and body functions that help animals survive in extreme habitats. Each spread pairs two animal species - one in the Arctic and one in Antarctica - that are using ... Read More  

Two more sleeps until Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth lands in bookstores! I am so proud of this book and I can’t wait to share it with all of you. Which brings me to today’s topic: ... Read More  

Despite what Coca Cola commercials would have you believe, polar bears and penguins have never met. Polar bears are apex predators of the Arctic, while penguins are only found in Antarctica.* That doesn't mean penguins are safe from predation... ...because ... Read More  

Four more sleeps until Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth lands in a bookstore near you! During preliminary research for the book, when I was trying to figure out which adaptations I would cover and which animal ... Read More  

Predator-prey relationships are a natural part of nature - unfortunate for the prey, but necessary at the scale of ecosystems. As a scientist who studied carnivores, I sometimes forget that I was also a kid who sobbed whenever a ... Read More  

Six more sleeps until Polar! Today's post was going to be about the science of ice worms, a species I wanted to include in the book but ended up cutting because their range (at least in Alaska) is farther south ... Read More  

Polar is a book about the adaptations that help penguins (and other animals!) survive in Antarctic habitats. That meant I had to focus on showing the adaptation at work in the wild... which meant that I couldn't talk about ... Read More  

I learned about a LOT of amazing animals while researching Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth, but arctic foxes will always have a special place in my heart. One reason is that I spent 6 years studying ... Read More  

Nine more sleeps until it’s pub day for Polar!  Kermit GIF from Kermit GIFs Today is World Book and Copyright Day, so I’ve been reflecting on how much time and work goes into writing just one children’s book. Time ... Read More  

Despite the giant window in my office, the room was unbearably dark. Aging eyes feeling the strain, I replaced the light fixture with a brighter one. That helped, sort of. But on cloudy days, it was still a dim ... Read More  

Hi, I’m Sheryl McFarlane and I’m pleased to announce the release of my newest picture book, Welcome Rain! It’s published by Greystone Books, and illustrated by the very talented Christine Wei. Welcome Rain! is a a celebration of rain in ... Read More