David Suzuki publishing picture book inspired by adventures with his grandkids
CBC Books | Posted: July 18, 2023 1:15 PM | Last Updated: July 18, 2023
Bompa's Insect Expedition will be published on Sept. 19, 2023
Celebrated environmentalist, scientist and science broadcaster David Suzuki has written a new picture book inspired by his adventures with his grandchildren. Bompa's Insect Expedition, which is co-written by Tanya Lloyd Kyi and illustrated by Qin Leng, follows twins as they go on an insect expedition with their grandfather.
Bompa's Insect Expedition will be published on Sept. 19, 2023.
Suzuki, who is a father of five and grandfather of 10, including twins Nakina and Kaoru, is the author of over 50 books. He recently retired as the host of The Nature of Things in spring 2023 after a 43-year run.
"Getting the chance of creating Suzuki in all his likeness while preserving the style of the book was such a welcomed and exciting challenge," said illustrator Qin Leng, in an email to CBC Books.
In Bompa's Insect Expedition, through exploring the nature just outside their front door, Bompa shows his grandchildren how essential bugs are to the planet and the important roles they play. With their field journal and backpack full of tools for exploring, Nakina and Kaoru learn more about why dragonflies can fly into a wall without getting hurt and why caterpillars need to eat 200 times their own weight in leaves.
Watch a young child's first encounter with an ant, a bee or a butterfly and you will see fascination and wonder. - David Suzuki
When asked what inspired him to create a new picture book, Suzuki said, "Big creatures like whales, elephants and gorillas and cute and cuddly animals like bunny rabbits, panda and koala bears and songbirds.
"But small organisms like plankton, krill, fungi and insects are far more numerous and diverse and support the rest of the living world to flourish. Watch a young child's first encounter with an ant, a bee or a butterfly and you will see fascination and wonder."
"David and I had several wide-ranging conversations about how he fell in love with insects as a child, and about how much his grandkids love exploring nature. So the idea of a grandpa-grandkid insect expedition came together quite naturally. (And his grandkids really do call him Bompa!)," said co-author, Tanya Lloyd Kyi, in an email to CBC Books.
Bompa's Insect Expedition also includes facts about different insects and advice on how kids can help bugs to thrive
Tanya Lloyd Kyi has written more than 30 books for children and teenagers, including The Best Way to Get Your Way, This Is Your Brain on Stereotypes, Under Pressure and Mya's Strategy to Save the World. Kyi lives in Vancouver.
Qin Leng is a Toronto illustrator, writer and visual development artist. Her recent books include I Am Small, which Leng wrote and illustrated, and she has illustrated numerous books including A Kid is a Kid is a Kid, A Family Is a Family Is a Family and Sharon, Lois and Bram's Skinnamarink.
Images courtesy of publisher: Bompa's Insect Expedition, David Suzuki and Tanya Lloyd Kyi, illustrated by Qin Leng. ©2023. Published by Greystone Kids and the David Suzuki Institute