“It was a special moment when the book turned up on my doorstep”

Just before lockdown in 2020 I found a note on my phone that I had written and then forgotten about. After I read it, another few lines came to mind. Those were the opening lines of The Happy Zoo. In June, I began sending the manuscript to various publishers.

The Happy Zoo is a rhyming picture book that takes you on a tour of some of the animals in a fictional zoo. The book touches on conservation and the need to protect animals and their habitats.

It was a special moment when the book turned up on my doorstep for me to approve the final illustrations. That copy is now in my daughter’s room with tattered corners. I have achieved many business milestones, but having something like this, that can be handed down to my kids and that can be read to their kids, is lovely.

The book was written before my youngest child was born. She will happily eat the pages – I am not entirely sure what she thinks of the words just yet. The three-year-old loves it and will grab The Happy Zoo from the bookshelf saying ‘Daddy’s book.’ I have a whole repertoire of voices that I use when reading to my children.

You can definitely approach bigger topics with children’s books. The feedback I’ve had from parents is that they have realised that sometimes we take the environment for granted. It is not only about making sure that these animals and their habitats survive, but also ensuring that future generations have the chance to see these wonderful creatures.

Children get such joy from words and pictures. They can see a picture of an animal or read a few words and go on an adventure in their head

I’ve always had a fairly creative streak. It is nice to shut the door on the real world and create an environment that exists on a page. When my daughter arrived, I was inspired by reading all of these amazing stories for children. I would make up my own little stories and songs. There wasn’t a point where I decided to have a book published – it was originally going to be something that I printed at home and stapled together.

Children get such joy from words and pictures. They can see a picture of an animal or read a few words and go on an adventure in their head. It is really lovely to create that spark. The more passionate a child becomes about an animal the more likely they are to want to look after the environment. As they get a bit older, if they realise that their pals are in danger, they are more likely to engage with activities to help protect wildlife.

• As told to Selina Powell.