Active by night, a tongue like a whip, claws like a mini-excavator, a diet of bugs and rocks, and a body armored in scales strong enough to repel jaguar teeth. You might think this describes the next great X-Men villain rather than one of the world’s most endangered animals, but really these are the qualities of the gentle pangolin, one of the coolest and perhaps least understood creatures on Planet Earth.

As an author originally focused entirely on my Heroes of Time fantasy series, I didn’t set out to become passionate about endangered pangolins. My daughters had been watching nature shows and reading books about them. I thought they were pretty neat—I actually created a warrior pangolin character for a future fantasy book—but that was the extent of it.

Then my kids demanded I write children’s books. I was already working with a fantastic Australian illustrator, so I was open to the idea, but only if the character was unique and the premise interesting, with actual purpose and conviction. Discussing it with my family, the pangolin immediately came to mind, and the name Penny Pangolin came out of my mouth as though guided by fate.

Stories with a Purpose

As the first books went into development, it occurred to me just how much significance existed behind this series and the subjects it would tackle. Pangolins, it turns out, are the most heavily trafficked animals on the planet—all eight species across Asia and Africa. They seriously need our help! Every time I sell books live, I meet people who have never even heard of pangolins. Thus, I’m very proud of the opportunities for conservation and education that have been created through these books. In support of this, we have even partnered with SavePangolins.org and the Wildlife Conservation Network to help further raise awareness. You should definitely check it out!

Of course, conservation is great, but as this is a children’s series, it was also important to me that each book be fun, uplifting, educational, and encouraging, with positive character-building virtues relevant to kids today. With this in mind, I wrote each book around a central theme, things like forgiveness when a friend wrongs you, taking care of and adopting a pet, food sensitivities, bullying, awareness of screen-time usage, and sportsmanship. And all of these are presented through entertaining stories, with nothing preachy. In children’s books, there’s great importance in both the central themes themselves and the way in which they’re presented. It’s my goal to do it through the storytelling, in way that’s both relatable and entertaining.

Audiobooks by the Voice of a Dog

Audiobooks might not be the first thing you think about in connection with children’s books. It certainly wasn’t for me. Yet, after writing the Penny Pangolin books, I started to wonder if there were any different and interesting ways I could help people experience the stories. I wasn’t new to audiobooks—I’d already gotten into producing them for my fantasy series—but I didn’t realize this was really a thing in the kids’ market. As it turns out, audiobooks for children are a growing trend.

But I also felt that, if I was going to get into audiobooks for this series, it needed to be with someone impactful, someone who could really make it an experience, someone people would relate to. Enter: David McCormack.

David is the voice of none other than Bandit Heeler, Bluey’s dad in the hit cartoon series Bluey. It so happened that I had met David at a comic con event in Lexington, Kentucky several months back. During that event, I got a picture with him and even gave him a set of the books. So, when I considered the idea of audiobooks, I looked up at my picture with David and thought, “I wonder if he’d do it.” I managed to make contact, work out a deal, and the rest is history. Now David is not only the voice of Bandit but the narrator of the Penny Pangolin series, and hearing how he really brings the books to life is so much fun, plus in that voice that’s impossible not to love!

Most important to me, though, is that the audiobooks are not a replacement for the books. Rather, they go hand-in-hand with the text and illustrations, creating a different way to experience the stories. For this reason, the audiobooks are included as a download in the back of the hardcover books. I believe that parents should read to their kids at every opportunity. However, sometimes a little assist is nice, and playing that audiobook as a companion to the physical book is certainly a lot better than more screen-time. This is also why I’m so thrilled that Playaway has created the Penny Pangolin Wonderbooks, bringing the audiobooks together with the physical hardbacks, and available through libraries.

Conclusion

I find it so satisfying when multiple elements of purpose and experience come together and contribute to the appeal of something like a book series. Through conservation, education, character-building virtues, beautiful hand-made illustrations, human-written and edited text, and an impactful voice behind the narration, the Penny Pangolin series is an achievement I’m especially proud of.

Please check it out at Shop.PennyPangolin.com, or Amazon and have a pango-perfect day!