Artist and illustrator Rebekah Raye and science and nature writer Kimberly Ridley are the award-winning illustrator and author, respectively, of the children’s books, “The Secret Pool” (Tilbury House, 2013) about life in vernal pools and “The Secret Bay” (Tilbury House, 2015) about life in estuaries.

“The Secret Pool” is the winner of numerous awards, including a 2013 Riverby Award from the John Burroughs Association at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, which is given to “excellent natural history books for young readers that contain perceptive and artistic accounts of direct experiences in the world of nature.” The book is also the winner of a Lupine Award from the Maine Library Association and was named to Downeast Magazine’s list of best children’s books.

Ridley and Raye will talk about their collaborations on children’s books and their leadership of workshops for elementary students that combine science, creative non-fiction writing and art. Using “The Secret Pool” as a launching pad, students learn about the ecology of vernal pools and write their own science-based stories.

Art Meets Science Cafés are an educational outreach program of the MDI Biological Laboratory, open to the public, free of charge.

Pre-register