Concept and illustrations by Valentina Gottardi.
Scientific supervision by Danio Miserocchi. Texts by Danio Miserocchi and Maciej Michno.
“Fallen” is a popular science book that revolves around a tree, felled in the forest by a storm. As time passes and the seasons proceed, we discover that this seemingly dead wood is populated with life and sustains the natural cycle of nature and the biodiversity of the forest. As we read, we discover animals, both large and small, plants, mushrooms, and all that inhabits the forest. The fallen tree remains seemingly motionless throughout the book, but as time passes it is transformed until it produces a new sprout, on the last page.
The book is structured by themes and seasons, each spanning a double-page. The double-pages are of three kinds: introductory (illustrations and text), focus pages (with in-depth content and species illustrations), and silent pages (illustration only).
The topics covered are (autumn) insects; mosses and lichens; fungi and mollusks; (winter) birds and small mammals; rotten wood and bacteria; (spring) wildflowers and pollinators; (summer) large carnivores; and humans.
The book was produced by the authors of “Solo Dance”, with the same passion and scientific rigor. The iconographic apparatus, created and validated with scientific meticulousness, blends digital technique with freehand illustrations. Most of the species presented are new to science popularization for children in Italy. For ages 8 and up.
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