On my last big book research trip up the West Coast, I finally had the chance to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Of course, it was everything it was hyped up to be and more—I loved watching the sea otters at feeding time, being mesmerized by the jellyfish exhibits, even learning about the building’s past as a sardine cannery. But my favorite of all was the kelp forest exhibit. Just sitting there, bathed in blue light and watching beams of sunlight filter down through the “forest” canopy as I sketched, was the most relaxing moment of a sometimes hectic trip. So even though this sketch didn’t directly translate to an illustration in my book, it provided plenty of inspiration and a happy memory jog.