The dodo and other extinct animals is an educational book that will help teach children about the importance of protecting animals and maintaining the biodiversity of our planet.
A collection of 40 surprising stories about animals brought to extinction by the actions of mankind. Narrated in an educational tone, the book seeks to help very young (and the not-so-young) children understand the importance of respecting nature and animal life. Each story is accompanied by a beautiful and original illustration by Emilio Alarcón that depicts what each animal species looked like, while also incorporating geographical and biological facts that will add to and enrich the stories.
Our children, nieces and nephews, and grandchildren make up the generation whose destiny it will be to save the planet that we have so horribly abused. It is our responsibility to educate them and make them aware of this fact.
Both the texts and illustrations in this book have been meticulously documented by reliable sources, such as the classic book, A Gap in Nature, by Tim Flannery and Peter Schouten.
Millions of animal species are under threat of extinction. According to the UN, 150 animal species are made extinct every day. We are facing what is considered the largest threat to biological species since the disappearance of the dinosaurs.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the most complete inventory of the state of conservation of the world’s animal species. This list has determined that 27,000 animal species are currently under threat of extinction. Over the next 50 years, iconic animals like the black rhinoceros or African elephants will almost certainly disappear.
Species are currently becoming extinct at a rate of 100 times faster than they were at the beginning of the twentieth century. Scientists have dubbed this massive and irreversible loss the “sixth extinction.” Its leading causes are the destruction of habitat, the overexploitation of species, contamination and climate change.
Education is a very powerful tool to end this terrible process of the extinction of species. Today’s children are the men and women of tomorrow who will be faced with saving our planet. If we can create awareness among the generations of the future about the irretrievable loss of biodiversity, we may be able to slow or even stall the rate of extinction.
That is why this book has both a constructive and hopeful tone. The stories always end with a positive message, with the idea that this will help readers understand that people must take action if we want to save the animals. To reinforce this idea, we have included a sort of epilogue that features various animals that were on the brink of extinction (such as the panda bear), but saved thanks to various actions that were undertaken before it was too late.
Similar to the majority of classical children’s books, the stories in this volume are sad, but they always end on a positive and hopeful note.
We also wanted to bring special attention to the dodo bird, which for many is the icon of extinct animals. The dodo was saved from oblivion by Lewis Carroll, who made it one of the characters in Alice in Wonderland. We hope our book will help prevent these 40 extinct species from being forgotten, keeping them alive in the memories of children.
Storytelling is the perfect tool for communicating values and knowledge to young children. These short stories not only capture the attention of children, but also teach them while they read.
It is important for the stories to be well written, as they are packed with didactic, emotional and moral subject matter. We’re aware of how important it is to adapt the stories to a language and narrative style that is appropriate for and appealing to children, while conveying a valuable and inspiring message that they can learn from.
Teacher Laura Robles and her students of varying ages have helped us determine the ideal age range for understanding this book, which we therefore recommend for children between the ages of 6 and 12. This doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyed by children of all ages, as well as adults that appreciate illustration and the natural sciences.
Children are fascinated by animals, and this fascination can be used to educate them about ecological values and a respect for the environment.
For now, we have created a prototype featuring five stories and 20 original illustrations. We have done about 30% of the total workload. The book will be structured as follows:
Timing:
March: Kickstarter Campaign
April: Kickstarter releases the funding, final selection of the animals to be included in the book. We write 10 of the stories and do the illustrations for 10 animals.
May: We write 15 stories and illustrate the final 11 animals. Translation into English begins.
June: We write the final 11 stories and begin layouts.
July: The English translation is completed and we finish layouts. The first printing trials are carried out.
August: The books go to press
September: The books are shipped and your beautiful, illustrated manuscript arrives!
We are a multidisciplinary team passionate about the need to protect our planet and the species that inhabit it. We have created this book with the idea of telling true stories. To do so, we depend on writer Natalia Pérez, who has given each one its shape and flow. Our biologist is Juan López, who, thanks to his wide range of experience in the world of the natural sciences, is responsible for verifying the facts and truth behind these stories. Elementary school teacher Laura Robles has infused the book with the educational tone needed to transmit this knowledge to its readers. Emilio Alarcón is the author of the original illustrations of each species and director of the project, and Adrienne Smith has translated the texts from their original Spanish to English to help them cross more borders and reach more readers.
We are also working with Muak Studio, whose beautiful designs will make this book truly one-of-a-kind, as well as with Gráficas Nilo, a printing house in Madrid with more than 50 years’ experience.
Emilio Alarcón is a Spanish creative director and illustrator based in Madrid. He has illustrated various books and worked on numerous public art installations as part of the Mmmm collective… He is currently is the creative director of Milimetrado and Curiosite, regalos originales.
With a degree in Philosophy and in-depth studies into English culture, Natalia Pérez has been writing a variety of content for more than 19 years. She is passionate about cats, cooking, and English-language literature.
Muak is the communications and design studio in Madrid that will do the layouts and design of the book—bringing beauty to everything it touches.
Juan López Cantalapiedra is a paleobiologist who has participated in many scientific research projects looking at the evolution of different lines of mammals, participating in research projects carried out in both Spain and Germany. He is currently a researcher and professor at the Universidad de Alcalá de Henares.
Adrienne Smith has been a writer and translator for more than 20 years, lending her voice and language skills to numerous publications and projects in the world of art, architecture, travel, cuisine and culture.
Gráficas Nilo is a Madrid-based publishing house with more than 50 years’ experience printing different formats and types of graphics.
The project is well underway and we have already started working on the illustrations, texts and layouts. We have even made a prototype with the printing house, which has helped us recognize areas for improvement and implement changes. The project will take some time to complete since we still have quite a bit of writing to do, as well as many illustrations. We also want to gauge how children perceive the results. We estimate it will take approximately six months. We are a very professional team with many years’ experience in the fields of illustration, copywriting and publishing, which is why we believe that the results will more than meet the expectations of those who support this project. Thank you for your support in making this beautiful project a reality.