Flower Guard Books for Schools
As a children's author and illustrator I have written many fiction books to entertain children, often with themes of friendship, fixing problems and finding happiness, but my non-fiction book, Ruff's Guide to Endangered Animals, has an even greater purpose...to educate and encourage children to act now to save the lives of animals which are critically endangered and at risk of extinction.
The idea
This book has been a real labour of love and the idea originally came to me after my eldest daughter, who joined her school's eco club, decided she'd like to adopt an animal from the WWF for her birthday; after a lot of research into the animals in need of support she decided on a cheetah. As I helped her with her research, I began thinking about getting a book together, featuring animals that were critically endangered. After a year of researching, writing and illustrating Ruff's Guide to Endangered Animals, it is now available and is already receiving a very positive reaction.
A year like no other
Ordinarily, after the launch of a new book I would be contacting schools, libraries and other children's venues about taking my Flower Guard Books' Workshops out and about and sharing the book with pre-school and primary aged children. However, as we all know, 2020 has not been an ordinary year and so the only workshop I have been able to provide has been a virtual one in this year's East Riding Festival of Words.
Covid-19 has made it impossible for me to share this book as I'd like, but I believe that in order for it to have an impact and change lives, I need to get the book out there to the children it was created for. East Riding Libraries will be stocking the book for loan, but in order for it to reach as many children as possible I would love to get the book into as many schools as I can.
Why Crowdfund?
As a self-published, independent author and illustrator, I simply don't have the finances to do this on my own and that is why I am asking for help. I print my books through Amazon KDP and in order to get copies of it I have to buy it like everybody else, there are no 'money off' deals available to me as author and illustrator. I want schools to have this book without having to spend their already stretched budgets on it, but I simply cannot do this on my own.
Educating a child about critically endangered animals at an early age will encourage them to act now and make a difference. Ruff's Guide to Endangered Animals shares facts and figures about the animals that are in danger of extinction and promotes the idea that we can all change our lives to help save theirs.
I believe that everyone has the responsibility to encourage children to care about the world in which we live and protect those that can't protect themselves.