Please welcome children’s book author and land conservation attorney Debra Kim Wolf to Frog on a Blog. Debra’s nonfiction picture book A Family for Zoya: The True Story of an Endangered Cub published this past summer by Platypus Media and features lovely realistic and detailed illustrations by twin sister nature and science artists Annalisa and Marina Durante.

I love that Debra chose to write about an endangered Amur tiger cub at the Philadelphia Zoo. My local zoo has Amur tigers (a favorite of my twin sister!) as well, and a male and a female cub were born there just last year. Let’s hear more from Debra about her special book and her passion for conservation and nature!

(All text and art from the book are the property of the author and illustrators.)

Congratulations on the publication of your beautiful debut nonfiction picture book A Family for Zoya: The True Story of an Endangered Cub! What inspired you to write this heartwarming story?

DW: I appreciate the chance to share my story with your readers, Lauri. 

I was at the Philadelphia Zoo several years ago when I first learned about little Zoya, the only survivor from a litter of five critically endangered Amur tiger cubs. Zoya was rejected by her mother, which is apparently not uncommon for first-time tiger mothers. The zookeepers knew it would be much better for Zoya to be raised by a tiger rather than by humans. So they transported her to the Oklahoma City Zoo, hoping that a Sumatran tiger who recently had her own litter there would foster her. And, in fact, Zoya became the first cub ever to be “adopted” by another tiger subspecies! That heartwarming true story—and the cute photos of Zoya and her new tiger family—made me think it would be an inspiring book for children. 

Why do you feel it’s important for children to learn about animals, nature, and
conservation?

DW: Even as a little kid growing up near the Appalachian Trail, I knew I wanted to be involved in protecting nature. I went on to become a land conservation lawyer, working to protect farms and creating trails and parks. But kids today are exposed to too much information about how we humans have messed up the environment. At a certain point, they may start feeling that nothing they can do will help or make a difference—which is absolutely untrue! I want to write stories that are entertaining but also show children how caring people can make a real difference for our planet. Zoya’s story highlights the incredible dedication of scientists and animal care specialists in three different zoos across the country. By saving this genetically rare tiger cub—who went on to have two healthy litters of her own—these caring folks kept alive fresh genes that one day could help make wild tigers healthier.

The ingenious way the publisher structured the book makes the story multi-layered: the main text focuses on Zoya’s fight for acceptance and love; the sidebars and back matter explain more about Amur tigers, genetic diversity, and efforts to protect wild tigers via the Tiger Conservation Campaign. So the book can appeal to a wide age range. I’ve even had adults tell me they learned a lot about tiger conservation by reading the story.

You’re also a songwriter! Do you write songs for children or for adults? And what
inspires your lyrics?

DW: For a long time, my creativity expressed itself via songwriting. I’d be driving or walking and a song hook or partial song lyrics would pop into my head. Sometimes I had to pull my car over to jot ideas down before they floated away! I was thrilled to win quite a few national honors and awards for songwriting. Unfortunately, my singing and guitar playing is mediocre at best, so I’m not a performing artist.

A few years ago, for some reason, ideas for children’s books started “coming through,” too. I’ve amassed dozens of decent ideas I keep in a file folder, but there’s simply not enough time to write or polish even a fraction of them!

Please tell us about One Little Earth, the nonprofit you founded.

DW: I started and ran a successful environmental film festival in Philadelphia for a number of years until Covid shut us down. We pivoted and turned into a nonprofit that supports nature access and nature literacy for underserved kids. We’ve sent underprivileged kids to nature summer camp, donated hundreds of environmentally-themed books to Title 1 schools and after-school programs, subsidized outdoor field trips and camps, and brought in authors and illustrators to talk to kids about the creative process. You can learn more at www.OneLittleEarth.org.

Can you share a bit about your next book?

DW: My next book—a humorous story about the food chain—will be published by Science Naturally in late 2026.

Learn more about Debra Kim Wolf and her books by visiting www.DebraKimWolf.com.

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Book Information