Local author shares new children’s book The City Ever Green

Local author and artist Bonnie Paruch has combined two of her passions — art and nature — to create The City Ever Green, a children’s book focused on the impact of urban development on the natural environment.

“I am a tree hugger,” Paruch said. “One of my favorite places to be ever since I was little was out in nature. Whenever there’s any kind of disruption in life, that always seems to be where I head to… I had an idea to do a book that would talk about urban development and what happens to a pristine natural environment and how appreciation for that area can cause it to become developed and developed and overdeveloped until suddenly nature isn’t there anymore.”

That love of nature, combined with Paruch’s artistic background and teaching experience, led Paruch to develop her own children’s book, fulfilling a long-held dream in the process.

“I’ve been a professional artist for a long, long time and doing a kids book — illustrating and writing it — was kind of a long-term part of my bucket list,” she said. “I’ve always enjoyed teaching,” she said. “I teach both adult art classes and workshops and I’ve taught kids… That’s been a part of me for a very long time.”

The City Ever Green offers an opportunity for children to gain an understanding of the role they can have in protecting and improving their environment.

“The idea behind it was to talk about it and help kids understand that they have a place in creating their natural environment,” Paruch said. “They can be a part of a community that helps to rewild forests and to make gardens and do some things in an urban setting to make it beautiful again… The main character in the book is nature in the presence of a great mother tree. She eventually becomes the last great oak tree in a huge city. When she is destroyed, the kids in her neighborhood decide to plant her acorns and start planting gardens and collecting seeds and food. Nature returns to the city… It’s intended to be hopeful and not preachy.”

Since its release late last year, Paruch has had the opportunity to share her book with children’s groups at several local organizations, including the YMCA and the Green Bay Botanical Garden.

“I’ve been surprised, in a way, because I’m self-published and I was worried. I thought, ‘Well, now I’ve written a book and 16 people will read it.’ Marketing is a challenge, I think, for most independent authors. The topic of the book, because it’s about kids and nature, has been easy for me to introduce to schools and nature organizations… It’s been really gratifying.”

This Saturday, Jan. 18, Paruch will be at Lion’s Mouth Bookstore in Downtown Green Bay to share her book and lead attendees in a kid-friendly, book-related craft.

The City Ever Green is available for purchase at Lion’s Mouth, bonnieparuch-books.com, Amazon and Barnes and Noble.