Woodland Hills Author Releases The First In A Series of Children's Picture Books That Feature Endangered Animals

Woodland Hills author Rebecca Heller has released her first children’s book ELEPHANTS with illustrations by Suzie Mason. The first in a series of picture books about endangered animals, ELEPHANTS follows a baby elephant through a day of activities. A portion of the book’s sales will benefit Amboseli Trust for Elephants (ATE), a nonprofit organization that aims to ensure the long-term conservation and welfare of elephants in Africa.

“It was such a delight to collaborate with Suzie on Elephants, which we see as a charming picture book for elephant lovers of all ages,” explains Heller. “Her vibrant illustrations invite children to explore a baby elephant’s day in the wild.”

Heller spotted Mason’s work online and was immediately drawn to her stylized yet accessible artwork. A freelance digital illustrator, Mason works from her home in the Cotswolds (England), and was excited to be a part of Heller’s project. Although the two have never met in person, they have enjoyed a rich collaboration over their shared love of animals.

The illustrations for ELEPHANTS began as digital sketches that were hand-drawn in Photoshop and refined by simplifying the shapes of the elephants. The drawings were stylized to accurately incorporate each elephants' distinctive characteristics. Every shape, whether it be an elephant's ear or a leaf, began as a basic silhouette until shading and details were painted in. Mason then used several different digital brushes to create a distinctive textured look.

Heller, a Los Angeles based creative is the author of various works of fiction and non-fiction. She spends her days as a high-school college counselor and mommy to a precocious four-year-old whose curiosity for animals became the inspiration for the book. Heller created Elephants through her publishing company, Like a Girl Press.

The Amboseli Elephant Research Project (ATE) is the longest-running study of wild elephants in the world. Since 1972, they have followed the lives of the Amboseli elephants; the results of their research have profoundly altered the way we think about, conserve, and manage elephant populations. For more than four decades, their presence has helped ensure the survival of the elephants and the Amboseli ecosystem. More broadly, ATE aims to ensure the long-term conservation and welfare of Africa's elephants in the context of human needs and pressures through scientific research, training, community outreach, public awareness and advocacy.

ELEPHANTS is the first in a series of children’s books featuring endangered or threatened animals. Books in the works include Dolphins, Whales, and Polar Bears, with proceeds going to nonprofits that support each group’s survival.

ELEPHANTS is available in paperback and Kindle for $11.99 on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. For more information about the author, please visit www.rebeccaheller.com.

Like A Girl Press, April 27, 2017, ISBN: 978-1540582478, Paperback: 30 pages