Cherilyn Chin
Cherilyn Chin earned her bachelor’s degree in the Environmental Sciences with an emphasis in Biology from the University of California at Berkeley. Cherilyn has worked at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and at Steinhart Aquarium at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco as an Aquarist and Water Quality Technician. Cherilyn enjoys writing children’s books about ocean animals, and has an award-winning blog called Ocean of Hope. She is an avid hiker and scuba diver living in California.
Interview
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
Go, Dog. Go! By P. D. Eastman
What’s your favorite line from a book?
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.”― Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder
Who are your top three favorite authors or illustrators?
Rachel Carson, Jane Goodall, Susan Casey
Why did you want to become an author or illustrator?
I didn’t always know I wanted to be an author, but in the 4th grade we had to make our epitaphs (what is written on a gravestone) and all I wrote was “SHE WAS A WRITER” Once I started writing as Ollie the Octopus and started my blog Ocean of Hope, I knew that I wanted to share my love of the ocean and its creatures through my writing.
Do you have any advice for future authors or illustrators?
Writing isn’t just about writing essays or answering questions on a test. Creative writing will stimulate your imagination in a way that will take you places you’ve never gone before.
