The science behind the mermaids of Miri Attwater: octopus camouflage

In celebration of the release of Book 2, Miri Attwater and All that Glitters, I thought it would be fitting to go a little into the science behind the magic of the Miri Attwater series.

Science is amazing. It's better than magic! Because it's real.

When I first started the Miri books, my intention was to write pure fantasy, with magic and everything. Magic makes things easy. Yeah, I know you have to come up with rules but -

Need something? Make up a rule and -

Bam!

You have something. It's magic!

The problem was, every time I got to the point in the story where Miri's legs magically turned into tails, it just didn't feel right to me. Even though other writers used it - in fact the original myths even used it - it still felt hollow and unbelievable. I mean, how could legs turn into tails?

Really.

I mean, I knew it wasn't "real," but still my brain wanted to understand exactly how that could happen.

The answer?

An octopus.

Now you might be thinking, "Ew! What could an octopus possibly have to do with mermaids! That's gross!" just like Miri. But it wasn't just the octopus itself, it was octopus camouflage.

I saw a video of octopus camouflage. And I believed it was possible for mermaid legs to turn into tails.

Watch. And believe.

 

Want to learn more about octopuses? Check out these websites. (Ask a parent's premission before clicking on the links below.)

Squid and Octopus Switch on Camouflage at bbc.co.uk
8 Feet of Justice at ScienceFriday.com

Books, Babies, and Bows reviews the children's fantasy Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret

What does an octopus have to do with mermaids? Read Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret and find out!

When I came up with the idea to write a book about a girl who didn't know she was a mermaid, my intention was to write a book that was pure fantasy.

But I discovered something about myself.

If I'm creating the magical world, it won't ring true to me unless it follows the principals of science. I guess that by the time you get a PhD in biology, science is too deeply ingrained in your DNA to deny it.

While I had lots of fun researching and imagining all the fantasy science in Miri's world, there was always that nagging fear in the back of my mind. Is all this fantasy science going to be believable to other scientists?

Yes, even someone with a PhD has a fear of looking stupid. :)

So I am thrilled about the review just posted at Books, Babies, and Bows! Jenny is a scientist and she gets it! She really gets it! (And she doesn't think I'm stupid or anything.)

From her five star review posted on her blog, Amazon, and Goodreads:
What I absolutely love about this book is how the author uses scientific facts to create a rule system for this "magical" world. You learn about how a mermaid changes from legs to fins in a way that makes it believable and magical all in the same breath. 

Read the rest of Jenny's review of Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret at Books, Babies, and Bows. And while you're there, check out her lovely series on 30 books of Kindness.

Don't forget, you can now buy an ebook copy Miri Attwater and the Ocean's Secret at all of these major retailers.

Amazon          Kobo          Barnes & Noble          itunes/ibooks        Sony                    diesel

Happy Reading!