The Plan

The Point:

The point of this book is to educate, but entertain at the same time. It is by no means a children’s book nor is it only for adults. It will be appealing to both ages. I have carefully thought of the idea of following “characters” around but I thought that it would seem less real if that were the case. Thus, although the fake scientist I created for this will have followed certain animals, the book will be written as if it is about all of the species and not a particular one. I decided this in order to keep it from being too “cutesy”. The book will explore the culture of hibernation for these animals which includes but is not limited to their dress, language, rituals, norms, beliefs and food.


The Problems:

Some problems I may have making my book may include inadequate time constraints regarding illustrations as well as the amount of research information not being accurate (ex. some say skunks hibernate, some don’t). Also, much of the books I’ve found on Hibernation are children’s books.


The Illustrations:

Showing an event in one illustration, getting the likeness correct, making it visually appealing. It will look like a collage in a sense but it was made all at once. The various images would merge into one, and then be one illustration. Included in this booklet is an example of the illustrative style I will be going for, without the actual collage affect.

The Story/Text:

Making a Statement, making each unique

The Outline:

Foreword: Introduces the idea behind the book. It will be written so that if you read it, it will give you an added piece of information, but if you do not, you will still understand the book.

Chapter 1: Hibernation: What is it? The science behind it explaining how it works.

[I chose the following animals based on their varied forms of hibernation]

Chapter 2: Western Jumping Mice
These mice are heavy sleepers. They burrow in nests.

Chapter 3: Ground Squirrels
Are perhaps one of the best hibernators in that they do it without waking up all winter and their bodies reach a very low temperature.

Chapter 4: Skunks
“Hibernate” by having several gather together in a den during the winter. They are all female with one male.

Chapter 5: Bear
Their body temperature lowers, but they can sleep longer and without interruptions than any other animal. Bears store fat for cubs.

Chapter 6: Red-breasted Nuthatch
Some fly south, and some stay in the north. They do not hibernate in long periods of time, but go into torpor (short hibernation) and emerge in the day to find food.

Chapter 7: What does this mean?
This chapter will close the book as well as asking a more pressing question which I have come across through my research. That question is what does hibernation mean for humans.

Chapter Breakdown:

Each chapter is dedicated to an animal and will outline these stages of hibernation: the harvest, the eve of hibernation, the hibernation period, and the awakening.

The Harvest: This section will explore what the animal does to gather food for the winter, what food they like to eat, if they put on food, or a heavier coat, etc.

The Eve of Hibernation: On the eve of hibernation each animal will celebrate it differently. What will they be doing the night before they devote months and months to winter-life?

The Hibernation Period: This section will show what they do during this period. Do they sleep through the entire winter, do they wake up, do they go out for more food?

The Awakening: The last stage of hibernation deals with the coming of spring and coming out from the animals’ nests/dens.

List of Illustrations:


These illustrations will be depicting stages of each animal’s hibernation.

Jumping Mice:
Gathering Food/Festival, Sleeping, Emerging

Ground Squirrels:
Sleeping, Chart of their Sleep, Festival

Skunks:
In the wilderness, Den together

Bear:
Sleeping, Waking Up

Red-Breasted Nuthatch:
Gathering Food on Tree, Flying, Resting

Illustration of Maximillian Shauer:
Portrait of the scientist

Border Illustrations:
Trees, Leaves, Nuts

Cover (perhaps):
Each animal patterned

Resources:

The following reserouces are some of the ones that I have found regarding this topic:

Websites:

Jumping Mice:
http://www.environmentyukon.gov.yk.ca/wildlifebiodiversity/mammals/jumpmice.php

http://www.mnh.si.edu/mna/image_info.cfm?species_id=423

Red-Breasted Nuthatch:
http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=66

Skunk:
http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=104

Bear:
http://www.hww.ca/hww2.asp?id=83

Ground Squirrel:
http://canadianbiodiversity.mcgill.ca/english/species/mammals/mammalpages/spe_par.htm

Books:

Hibernation by Bennett, Paul, 1954-
Wayland,
1994.

Hibernation by Stidworthy, John, 1943-
Gloucester Press,
1991.