Meg Sodano
Meg Sodano is fascinated with changes in the natural world – lifecycles, migrations, seasons, tides, weather – and with interactions among species and their environments. She uses her first-hand experiences, knowledge of biology, and training in science illustration to make picture books about ecology and conservation.
Salamander Sky (published by Green Writers Press, 2018) shows Meg’s skillful and observant ink-wash illustrations, which received four recognitions, including the John Burroughs Riverby Award for excellent nature books for young readers. She chooses her media based on textural qualities of the story’s setting. It is often a combination of watercolors, inks, colored pencils, water soluble crayons, or graphite. Backgrounds are sometimes created using the shapes of gathered leaves or paint mixed from rock pigments. Meg’s work strives to communicate the value of nature and the importance of environmental stewardship.
ISBN 9781728232249
A lovely educational tale about how animals live in harmony and benefit their ecosystem through commensalism. A family of beavers love their pond, which they've worked hard to turn from a bedraggled landscape into a thriving wetland. But when a family of otters move in and start reaping the rewards of the beavers' efforts, the only thing the beavers can do is tolerate their new neighbors as best they can. Despite the fact that the otters can be rather annoying, the two species eventually strike a balance, and in the process benefit the rich new ecosystem around them.