Dr. Eleanor Spicer Rice–an entomologist by training, and author whose books have tackled topics ranging from spiders to microbes—responds to my observation that her new set of books, “The Deadliest Series,” appears to represent a redoubling of her commitment to writing for young readers. 
It felt worth exploring, in part because Spicer Rice holds a PhD, is an accomplished science writer, and
has written a number of books geared for adult audiences—her first appearance on this show, in 2017, was discussing her just-published four guides on ants…for adult readers. This leads us to a conversational detour, addressing the extent to which being the mother of two young boys plays a role here, and she allows that, indeed, the boys’ interests (and concerns) drive much of what she writes. And like many authors toiling in the YA realm, Spicer Rice says she hopes her work will inspire youngsters who tend to be non-readers to flip their status, adding that one of her sons is a reader, and the other, not so much. Spicer Rice recounts how the opportunity to write “The Deadliest Series” came her way, pitching the idea for one book, parenthetically proposing other titles that could round out a potential series. Once she received the greenlight for the series—“The Deadliest Snake… Spider….Big Cat… Insect…Sea Creature… Flower”—
she proceeded with the proverbial deep dive into research, poring over 50-150 peer-reviewed studies in
preparation for each book. That’s part of the work ethic that involved Spicer Rice putting in 14-hour days, she explains, elaborating on details of the process, including where artist Max Temescu—whose extraordinary, vibrant illustrations give the books visual pizzazz—entered the picture (so to speak). Given all the time, energy, and work she invests in these projects, I ask what she’s seeking to achieve—what does success look like?“More kids wanting to go outside,” articulating that her ongoing objective is to have her young readers (and older readers, too) share her profound sense of wonder and enthusiasm for the great outdoors, and all the wondrous creatures who live there.
ALSO: I spoke with Anita Camacho, President and Founder of the Tampa Bay Butterfly Foundation, who initially described the Foundation’s history and mission. She countered my suggestion that butterflies are under-appreciated, saying people often take a dim view of them in their caterpillar stage, because they munch on—and damage—plants. Camacho goes on to note the misunderstanding this reflects of how pollinators function, the dark detriment of pesticides, and so on—explaining that the number of moth species (150,000) dwarfs that of butterfly species (17,5000). She outlines what is expected to be offered at the event slated for Saturday July 26, including access to insects and reptiles housed on-site, the use of a blacklight to attract moths, and a presentation, “Gardening For Moths,” taking place at the Bug Zoo, Nature Center and Butterfly Garden, 4113 Henderson Blvd., Tampa, FL, 33629. (https://butterflytampa.com/, https://www.facebook.com/ButterflyTampa, https://www.instagram.com/tampabaybutterflyfoundation/)
COMEDY CORNER: Joe Zimmerman’s “Pet Snakes, Part 2” (DS edit) (https://www.zimmermancomedy.com/)
MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today.
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