Long before the invention of electricity or the discovery of underground reservoirs of fossil fuels, people depended on whale oil to keep their lamps lit. A few brave Colonial farmers left their fields and headed out to sea to chase whales and profits farther and farther off shore. When they did, towns sprung up around their harbors as demand grew for sailors, blacksmiths, ropewalkers, and the many other craftsmen needed to support the growing whaling industry. Through the fictional village of Tuckanucket, Whale Port explores the history of these towns. Detailed illustrations and an informative narrative reveal the way Tuckanucket’s citizens lived and worked by sharing the personal stories of people like Zachariah Taber, his family and neighbors, and the place they called home. Whale Port is also the story of America, and the important role whales played in its history and development as people worked together to build communities that not only survived, but prospered and grew into the flourishing cities of a new nation.
Born: Orlando, Florida, 1961.
Educated: BA in history from the University of Mass/Amherst.
Career: museum exhibit design and architecture, Boston and Cambridge, MA.
Children's Books: Whale Port is our first children's book. We think of it as a different kind of book on whaling, one that uses illustrations and text to tell the story of people, what they did for a living, and their whaling port home over 300 years.
Whale Port is the result of learning more than I ever needed to know about this fascinating topic, then sitting around in a coffee shop talking about it with Gerry. Next thing you know, we had an idea for a book: the history of a fictional whaling port told through bird's eye views of the port showing how it grew and changed. And here it is.
