Living with Lions
PAMS Foundation is an international non-profit organisation. Based in California, their mission is to build strong relationships at every level of society, that serve and empower the people who protect wilderness and wildlife.
In light of their inspiring mission, I was asked to illustrate a book with lions as its main protagonists. The book was written by a PAMS collaborator, Tania Taschen.
Competencies
Book Design
Characters Design
Illustrations
The Project. The Story.
The Protagonists
PAMS Foundation's educational program has previously released books that have raised awareness of wildlife among children and the young population of Africa.
The books are a visual representation of their belief that coexistence is possible for communities who live side-by-side with wildlife.
They are shared for educational purposes in communities and local schools, and are aimed at children aged around 7 to 11 years old.
Previous books were dedicated to giraffes and elephants, both of which risk extinction and are subject to mistreatment.
However, the book I was asked to illustrate is all about the king of the savannah, otherwise known as the lion!
The Plot
I worked closely with Tania, the author, to create a book that is both engaging and informative for the communities in Tanzania.
While I have never visited Tanzania, Tania has. Her knowledge was crucial in devising the right setting for the story, which is based on the country’s natural landscapes, colours, and relatable characters.
The story involves five important family characters: a brother and sister Kamari and Neela, their grandfather, the lions’ watcher uncle Kadogoo, and their aunt.
Character design took a little more research, as it was essential to understand not only the physical features of the population, but also their culture and clothes.
For example, particular research was given to the fabric and patterns used by the Massai population.
Yet the real protagonists are the book’s wildlife, made up of wild nature, hornbills, antelopes, Massai cows, and of course, lions!
The story was mostly set outside, with both uncle Kadogoo, the aunt and the grandfather answering numerous questions from Neela and Kamari. They are excited (but also scared) about experiencing a very close encounter with a lion, Scarface.
The topics in the book represent PAMS Foundation’s values around coexistence, including family, trust and respect. Through a series of colourful illustrations, the children learn how to behave when they see a lion, and what to do if the lion becomes subject to illegal hunting practices.
The Result
Entitled Living with Lions, the book was successfully launched in June 2022 and shared among Tanzania’s schools and educational centres.
Written in both Swahili and English, the book will also be distributed outside Tanzania, to promote and support the PAMS Foundation's mission.
Note. In December 2022, I had the pleasure to present the book in our gallery Plastico, to the children living on Syros. On this occasion, I transformed the story to fit the Kamishibai storytelling technique.
