In this Author POV, we highlight three recent environmental nonfiction books from award-winning children's author Patricia Newman. Through stories of music, sharks, manta rays, and conservation, Newman's work connects young readers with nature while showing how individual curiosity and action can make a difference.
Beatrice and the Nightingale, Sharks Unhooked: The Adventures of Cristina Zenato, Underwater Ranger, and Giant Rays of Hope: Protecting Mantas to Safeguard the Sea introduce readers to remarkable real people whose passions have inspired connection, discovery, and change. Spanning picture books through middle-grade nonfiction, the titles offer librarians and educators engaging entry points into STEM, conservation, women's history, environmental literacy, and global citizenship.
Can you introduce your book for librarians who may be discovering it for the first time?
I write environmental nonfiction for children ages 6 and up. My books Teach the Hope by connecting readers to nature, helping them feel gratitude for the way nature supports all living things, and introducing them to civic role models who inspire and empower. I have three recent nonfiction titles to share:
Beatrice and the Nightingale (illustrated by Isabelle Follath). Picture book for ages 6-9.
In 1924, an audience of more than one million listeners across the world tuned into the first-ever live radio broadcast of a nightingale accompanying the young cellist Beatrice Harrison. It was an unprecedented collective experience made possible by the invention of the radio and a sensitive new microphone.
Beatrice, considered one of the greatest cellists of the 20th century and a musical prodigy, was practicing her cello in her garden, when a nightingale began singing along. Wanting to share the experience, Beatrice convinced the head of the newly formed BBC to take a chance on a live broadcast from her garden.
The resulting duet was a smashing success and Beatrice received more than 50,000 letters in response. Overnight, she became known as the Lady of the Nightingales and for twelve years thereafter the cellist and the bird were broadcast annually to BBC listeners from her garden in Surrey.
Sharks Unhooked: The Adventures of Cristina Zenato, Underwater Ranger (illustrated by Becca Hall). Picture book for ages 5 to 10.
Some people fear sharks. Not Cristina Zenato.
As a little girl, Cristina dreamed of making friends with the sharks deep in the ocean. When she grew up, she made those dreams come true, becoming a diver, conservationist, and shark advocate. But Cristina discovered that sharks—the sleek, strong, powerful guardians of the ocean—need our help. She started diving in a protective suit and, as she built trust with sharks, they began coming to her with fishing hooks stuck in their bodies. Did she have the courage to remove the hooks?
Sharks Unhooked is the true story of how one woman helps our ocean and forms incredible bonds with animals beneath the rolling surf.
Giant Rays of Hope: Protecting Mantas to Safeguard the Sea. Photo illustrated for ages 9-14.
Off the coast of Perú, gentle giants swim beneath the waves. Thanks to the work of Kerstin Forsberg, giant manta rays have become a symbol of hope for ocean conservation in the region. Mantas are a flagship species, and when they’re protected, the whole ocean ecosystem benefits.
With the help and advice of teachers, students, and fishers, Kerstin launched a project to identify and track manta rays and protect them, making the ocean a better place for all creatures. Giant Rays of Hope is conservation science in action!
What inspired you to write this book, and what core themes do you hope readers take away from it?
Beatrice and the Nightingale
Inspiration: I heard Beatrice Harrison’s name mentioned in a movie I saw during the pandemic. I had never heard of her cello-nightingale duets and wanted to learn more.
Core Theme: I hope readers appreciate and emulate Beatrice’s wonder for nature and realize it takes only one person to make a difference that can affect millions.
Sharks Unhooked: The Adventures of Cristina Zenato, Underwater Ranger
Inspiration: While I was supposed to be researching another book, I happened upon a video of Cristina removing a fishing hook from inside a shark’s mouth. Not everyone would be brave enough to reach past rows of sharp teeth, so I dug deeper.
Core Theme: Sharks have a PR problem. The media presents them as killing machines. Like Cristina, I’d like to change that perception and help readers appreciate sharks as the guardians of our ocean.
Giant Rays of Hope: Protecting Mantas to Safeguard the Sea
Inspiration: I saw a profile of Kerstin Forsberg, director of Planeta Océano, in Time Magazine. I have a book titled Planet Ocean, so again, I needed to know more.
Core Theme: Kerstin’s story is a wonderful example of community conservation in action. I’d love readers to be inspired by her perseverance and positive attitude.
What kind of readers or patrons do you see this book resonating with most? (age range, grade levels, reading interests)
All titles would appeal to children interested in animals and the way nature works.
Beatrice and the Nightingale – ages 6-9/grades K-4, + musicians, bird lovers
Sharks Unhooked: The Adventures of Cristina Zenato, Underwater Ranger – ages 5-10/grades K-4, + shark-obsessed readers, ocean lovers, animal lovers
Giant Rays of Hope: Protecting Mantas to Safeguard the Sea – ages 9-14/grades 4-8,+ ocean lovers, budding activists, budding scientists
What themes or discussion topics do you hope librarians highlight when recommending the book?
Each of these titles emphasizes the power of passion and believing in yourself. Additionally:
Beatrice and the Nightingale – the first-ever broadcast of birdsong, how a young cellist changed the world
Sharks Unhooked: The Adventures of Cristina Zenato, Underwater Ranger – the power of caring, the willingness to look beyond the teeth to appreciate a shark for how it keeps our ocean healthy
Giant Rays of Hope: Protecting Mantas to Safeguard the Sea – the power of collaboration to accomplish a goal, how animals can inspire us to love and care for nature
If your book were part of a library display, what topics, themes, or comparable titles would you pair it with?
Beatrice and the Nightingale – music, musicians, birds, strong women, stories of perseverance, unusual biographies
Sharks Unhooked: The Adventures of Cristina Zenato, Underwater Ranger – sharks, ocean, strong women, women in STEM
Giant Rays of Hope: Protecting Mantas to Safeguard the Sea – amazing ocean creatures, conservation in action, stories of South America/Peru, Latin women in science
Are there companion resources librarians or educators should know about?
Librarians and educators are welcome to download the free educator guides on my website (https://www.patriciamnewman.com/teacher-guides/teacher-guides-2/). Many of the standards-aligned lessons were designed by classroom teachers and librarians.
Additionally, I write a popular monthly newsletter that connects environmental headlines with effective classroom connections. You can find the archive and subscription information here: https://www.patriciamnewman.com/earth-day-every-day-newsletter-archive/.
Which formats are currently available? (Hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, bilingual editions, large print, classroom sets, ISBNs, and whether bulk discounts or school pricing options exist.)
Beatrice and the Nightingale is currently available from Margaret Quinlin Books/Peachtree Publishing as a hardcover book (ISBN 9781682637272).
Sharks Unhooked: The Adventures of Cristina Zenato, Underwater Ranger is currently available from Millbrook Press/Lerner Publishing Group as a hardcover library bound book (ISBN 979-8-7656-2723-5) and an e-book (ISBNs 979-8-7656-5914-4, 979-8-7656-5915-1, and 979-8-7656-5916-8).
Giant Rays of Hope: Saving Manta Rays to Safeguard the Sea is currently available from Millbrook Press/Lerner Publishing Group as a hardcover library bound book (ISBN 979-8-7656-0799-2) and an e-book (ISBNs 979-8-7656-3856-9 and 979-8-7656-3858-3).
Please contact my publishers or your favorite distributors for information on classroom sets, bulk discounts, and school pricing options.
How could this book be used in community events or themed programming throughout the year? (For example: Earth Day, Black History Month, Pride, Hispanic Heritage Month, etc.)
Note: the following replies refers to my educator guides, which can be found on my website at https://www.patriciamnewman.com/teacher-guides/teacher-guides-2/.
Beatrice and the Nightingale – Use with any celebration of music, such as World Music Day/Make Music Day (June 21). Start by listening to the audio recording of Beatrice on my website (https://www.patriciamnewman.com/books/beatrice-and-the-nightingale/). Continue with two activities from my educator guide: What is Sound, Really? (experiments about sound) and Nature’s Musicians (a compare/contrast activity between human-made sound and birdsong; analyzes purpose and emotional impact)
Sharks Unhooked: The Adventures of Cristina Zenato, Underwater Ranger – a great tie-in to Shark Week (July), Endangered Species Day (May), and World Ocean Day (June 8). Continue with two activities in the educator guide: Exploring Sharks (model making and shark experiments) and Fishing for the Future (an experiment that illustrates overfishing).
Giant Rays of Hope: Protecting Mantas to Safeguard the Sea - a great tie-in to Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept/Oct) because Kerstin is a Latin woman in STEM, Endangered Species Day (May), and World Ocean Day (June 8). Continue with two educator guide activities: Plotting Manta Sightings (an activity that maps manta rays and encourages kids to develop protection policies based on the results) and Bycatch Simulation (explore how bycatch happens and how data collection helps to make positive change). You can find a video of the Bycatch Simulation on my website: https://www.patriciamnewman.com/books/giant-rays-of-hope-protecting-manta-rays-to-safeguard-the-sea/.
Do you offer author engagement options for schools or libraries? (Virtual visits, in-person events, Q&A sessions, etc.)
Yes, all the above! Educators tell me my Teach the Hope author visits delight, entertain, and educate their students/patrons. My developmentally appropriate programs weave elements of the writing process together with my passion for STEM, the environment, and global citizenship. All programs cover my initial idea, my process, revision, organizing research, withstanding rejection, and working with an illustrator or photographer. My interactive visits connect children to nature, science, and empower them to believe in themselves, because after all, that’s what writing is all about — having the courage to express yourself for an audience.
To find out more or book a visits, please visit my website at https://www.patriciamnewman.com/author-visit-programs/.
Is there anything else you would like librarians, teachers, or educators to know about your work?
I started a Teach the Hope initiative, which makes an excellent library program for children and parents. Our children are inundated with bad news about the environment, which often discourages them and prompts them to disconnect from the issue. Teach the Hope shows us how to share environmental stories in a way that emphasizes our connections to nature, instills gratitude for nature’s functions, and introduces kids to role models they can emulate. You can find more about teach the Hope here: https://www.patriciamnewman.com/teacher-guides/teach-the-hope/.
I have shared my initiative at the National Marine Educators Association Annual Conference, the American Library Association Annual Conference, the National Council for Teachers of English Annual Conference, and the California Association of Science Educators Annual Conference.
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