Children’s books can convey the awe we feel in the great outdoors and encourage care for wild species—and they might even lead readers (and artists) to advocacy and direct action. Nine children’s book creators known for depicting wildlife and the natural world have committed to a volunteer program in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, this October. The authors and illustrators, who call themselves Children’s Book Creators for Conservation, will spend two weeks with Wild Tomorrow, a stewardship organization supporting communities and biodiversity in the eastern South African province. They’ll engage in hands-on conservation efforts in addition to visiting with children at schools and orphanages, learning about the region, and developing global stories to share.

Hayley Rocco and Caldecott Honoree John Rocco, the married pair behind the forthcoming Wild Places: The Life of Naturalist David Attenborough (Putnam, Feb. 2024), came up with the idea. They invited fellow creators to participate, and their cohort grew to include Candace Fleming, Meg Fleming, Brian Floca, Jessica Lanan, G. Neri, Eric Rohmann, and Corban Wilkin.

Taking Action

Children’s Book Creators for Conservation developed while the Roccos were brainstorming individual projects and discussing their shared values. “During the pandemic, we said, ‘We should be doing more books about conservation and the plight of animals suffering from habitat loss,’ ” said Hayley, who took action by training and volunteering as a wildlife rehabilitator near the Roccos’ home, with the Wildlife Clinic of Rhode Island.

She and John also “went to Costa Rica for a couple of weeks to study sloths together” for their forthcoming Hello, I’m a Sloth, part of a Meet the Wild Things picture book series to be launched by Putnam in 2024. “We realized, ‘OK, this is our new passion, to travel to beautiful places and study animals that need our help, then come back and write books about them.’ But how can we make a bigger impact?”

While working on another Meet the Wild Things title, Hello, I’m a Pangolin, Hayley found information about a junket involving photography and volunteer work for Wild Tomorrow. “I love photography and wildlife, so it almost seemed too good to be true,” she said. She traveled to KwaZulu-Natal in March and April 2022 for what she calls a “life-altering” experience, encountering wild pangolins and participating firsthand in Wild Tomorrow’s anti-poaching work with southern white rhinos. “I felt for the first time like an active participant in conservation efforts, and I got a lot of book ideas too.”

In conversation with Wild Tomorrow, the Roccos learned how the organization supports wildlife protection and rescue, pays and outfits unarmed rangers to walk the fence line and monitor its 3,500-acre reserve, and employs local women—known as the Green Mambas—to remove invasive plants on the protected land. Donations to the organization, including funds raised from visiting volunteers, compensate the labor force and provide essential equipment,

“We have to stop the illegal wildlife trade before [species like elephants and lions] are gone,” Wild Tomorrow co-founder and executive director John Steward told PW. The key is “protecting wild areas. The problem is biodiversity loss at every level, from a butterfly to an elephant.” He is excited to host children’s book creators on the reserve, saying, “To paraphrase [ecologist] Carl Safina, facts alone won’t save the planet. We need to connect with people’s emotions, and that’s where I see children’s books being so powerful. Stories are how children fall in love with the wild, and then as they mature, advocate for the wild.”

Collaboration, Conservation, and Future Possibilities

As the Roccos talked about Hayley’s experiences in KwaZulu-Natal, and how volunteers potentially support communities and conservation through eco-tourism, they realized they could multiply their effort. Acting as ambassadors for Wild Tomorrow, they reached out to like-minded friends and proposed a group endeavor.

They estimate that their response rate was 75% affirmative, and those who declined were enthusiastic if unable to go. “My decision went like this: ‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’ ” said Candace Fleming, author of Giant Squid and Honeybee. “Here was this opportunity to do something direct and hands-on for wild spaces and the world. How could I say no?” Fleming found “the idea of experiencing a place with this group of brilliant book creators so exciting. It’s that collaborative creativity. Each person will bring their own way of seeing the world. And, okay, I’m excited about the baby rhinos, too.”

Caldecott Medalist Eric Rohmann (My Friend Rabbit), Fleming’s spouse and frequent picture book collaborator, shared those sentiments: “In high school, I worked as a volunteer keeper at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, and in free moments I drew animals,” he said. “Many—almost all—of my books depict animals, so when John [Rocco] asked us to be part of the Wild Tomorrow project I couldn’t wait to say yes. Then we learned of the deeper purposes of the trip—the conservation of a precious wild place and the opportunity to meet and share experiences with the children we encounter—and we didn’t hesitate.”

Brian Floca (Locomotive), a Caldecott Medalist and Sibert Award Honoree, weighed the “disruption and expense,” yet “couldn’t imagine saying no.” He found it impossible to resist “a good cause, and in great company too. The reason I work in a shared studio space—and one of the reasons I live in Brooklyn, too, for that matter—is the chance to be in regular conversation with other children’s book authors and illustrators. I’m excited by the idea of new conversations in and about a place as extraordinary [as KwaZulu-Natal].”

“It was an easy yes for me,” agreed G. Neri, author of the forthcoming My Antarctica (Candlewick, Mar. 2024). “I’ve been lucky enough to spend two months in Antarctica on a grant from the National Science Foundation, so I know firsthand the power of spending time in the deep wild with scientists and naturalists doing the hard work on the ground.”

Neri reflected that immersive experience benefits both author and audience. “As storytellers for young people, we find a way to translate an experience” and show readers “not only what’s at stake but what’s being done about it,” he said. “As artists and writers, we may not know how to cure disease, solve climate change, or save a rhino, but we can capture the hearts and minds of young people so they know they can make a difference too.”

Depending on this voyage’s outcomes, CBCC is thinking about future volunteer opportunities for ardent book-industry conservationists and donors. “As of right now, it’s a small group,” John Rocco said. “We’re excited to see what happens once more people find out about us. We’re hoping to continue to do these types of trips, with the mission of creating a bridge between children’s publishing and conservation, and to give conservationists a voice in the children’s world.”