Achi news desk-
A year ago, two wildlife guides who live on the Isle of Mull launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the creation of a children’s book celebrating the natural beauty of the Isles.
They reached their funding goal in just 24 hours, doubling it before the end of the campaign, and their idea was picked up by Edinburgh independent publisher Birlinn.
Now Zoë Stevenson and Lynsey Bland are preparing to launch their new children’s book What Color Are Your Wellies? next month follows the seabirds of the Hebrides and the color of their feet.
The beautifully illustrated book follows Usha, a little girl on holiday in the Heathrow Islands as she visits iconic landmarks and meets different seabirds that live there.
The idea behind the project came to Zoë several years ago, prompted by a poignant comment made by a fellow university student that ‘it looks as if a witness wears wellingtons when they fly.’
Lynsey Bland and Zoë Stevenson.
‘Years later, and I remembered that little comment and thought it would make a lovely book for children; go around and find out what color the birds’ wellingtons were,’ he said.
‘And obviously our protagonist would need a pair of wellingtons of his own to show off.’
He decided to bring the idea to life with the help of fellow wildlife guide and friend, Lynsey.
‘I loved it straight away,’ says Lynsey. ‘I love seabirds and the Hebrides, so I felt an immediate connection with him.’
Of course, there is publishing What Color Are Your Wellies? it would not have been possible without the support of the local community.
‘The fact that we managed to get fully funded in less than 24 hours was partly because the residents of Mull were as upset as we were,’ said Zoë.
‘People still stop us in the street to ask how the book is going and they look forward to getting their copies, which is so encouraging to experience.’
The book is as informative as it is colourful. Zoë gave a lot of thought beforehand to which locations to include in the story, and then Lynsey deftly brought them to life in her illustrations.
‘We go past Tobermory, because obviously we had to sneak where we live there, we visit Staffa, which is famous for Fingal’s Cave, as well as Scalpay Lighthouse and Ynys Coll,’ said Zoë.
‘We’ve put a beautiful map at the back of the book so people can see exactly where Usha went on her journey.’
Lynsey and Zoë hope that their book will inspire young children to look at what surrounds them here in the UK and spark enthusiasm for wildlife.
What Color Are Your Wellies? will be officially published on 4 April 2024, available from local bookshops and online.
Read more of our Book News here.
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