Weird or Wonderful is a non-fiction book aimed at older children and adults, with a focus on neurodiverse audiences. It covers a basic introduction to the saltwater clams commonly referred to as shipworms, which are highly impactful on our environment, and structures, but only just beginning to come under mainstream scientific scrutiny.

 

I was inspired to create this book by my good friend Lauren Park-McCann, who studies shipworms, and my younger sister, whose love for nature and illustration reminds me of my own childhood enthusiasm, and makes me want to create for people like us. The book is a concertina, taking the form of a shipworm over two metres long when fully extended. I did this to challenge my own book-making technical skills, but also to appeal more to neurodivergent readers, given its interactive, tactile nature.