News

Our good friend Annie Crawley, an underwater photographer and film maker from California, was featured on WGN News in Chicago last week. She was interviewed about her new book and DVD series and also sent a positive message about the health of our oceans and the need for education and conservation. Way to go Annie!

You can watch the video of the TV coverage here.

Save Our Seas Foundation has provided Annie with a grant to help create her series and the DVDs. Because of this relationship, all of Annie's products have a bilingual narration track.  People can listen to it in either Spanish or English.  Annie points out that SOS is really doing great things to help scientists, photographers and other projects get the word out about helping to Save Our Seas.

Ocean Life From A to Z, a new Book & DVD release from Reader’s Digest Children’s Publishing, lets young readers discover the wonders of underwater life through the pages of a 32-page full-color storybook, and a bilingual (English/Spanish) 47-minute underwater DVD – featuring photographs and exclusive footage captured by boat captain, dive instructor and educator, Annie Crawley. (February, 2007; ISBN: 10: 0-7944-1222-X; $17.99; Ages 3-8). 

The 32-page Ocean Life book is set against a collection of amazing images and provides fun facts and interesting tidbits about ocean-dwellers for each letter of the alphabet.

The 47-minute Ocean Life DVD showcases spectacular up-close underwater footage, with marine life information suitable for young and old.  It was created and narrated by Annie Crawley, and features 3 main sections:  Meet Annie – an introduction by Annie

as she puts on her gear, drives her boat, and gets ready to dive; A-to Z – filled with fun facts and cool video about ocean life from A to Z; and You and the Ocean – where kids can watch as Annie and other kids get in the water.  By using an optional language setting, the DVD is translated for Spanish-speaking viewers. 

The underwater scenes on the DVD are from Annie’s dive expeditions in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Belize, Galapagos and California, and are not available anywhere else.  Kids will want to watch them over and over as they learn about the magical life underwater.  Learning has never been so much fun – and so family friendly! 

Says Annie:  “It’s my personal mission to make a difference by educating people about our oceans.”

Ocean Life From A to Z

is the eighth entry in RDCP’s popular Book & DVD program, which premiered in the summer of 2005 with Sesame Street Elmo’s Easy As ABC.  That title went on to sell more than 130,000 copies, with collective sales for the program exceeding 250,000. Ocean Life From A to Z is the first Book & DVD from RDCP with a non-fiction focus, and mixes education with entertainment in an innovative way for youngsters. 

Book photography and DVD creation and narration by Annie Crawley:

Annie Crawley, originally a Chicago native, is a California girl now residing in Santa Barbara, CA.  A true multi-tasker, Annie functions as a producer, freelance photographer, filmmaker, writer, captain, dive instructor and educator.  She also works with Natural History Museums, Aquariums, and Science Centers throughout the world.  Her personal mission statement reads: “To educate and create entertaining multimedia programs to stimulate and awe the world into discovering, learning and protecting our earth, focusing upon the life of our oceans.”  She currently has three underwater videos available in the marketplace and uses her images both for publications and broadcast.  Annie has her own website: www.anniecrawley.com.