Watching Kids Get Lost in a Book I Illustrated: Sturgeon's Mill and Lori Peelen

Childrens Book Illustration in Sonoma County, California

Can you pick a more beautiful spot to celebrate a book about redwoods than Sturgeon's Mill in Occidental, California??

The morning began wrapped in cool coastal fog. The scent of fresh-cut redwood drifted through the air while steam rose from the historic machinery. Every so often, the sharp TOOOOOOT of the whistle from the mill rang through the trees, making the otherwise quiet corner of the forest feel very alive. Families wandered to demonstrations, children explored and stared with wide eyes, and tucked beneath the towering redwoods sat our little table with a banner, stacks of books, and a handful of colorful Sharpies waiting to sign them.

For Father's Day weekend, I had the privilege of joining author Lori Peelen for a book signing at Sturgeon's Mill. We spent the day wishing happy fathers day to fathers, and hearing what else their day has in store for them, signing books, and watching children fall in love with my characters -- with Sal the salamander and Fish (who is not a fish). It was one of those days that make you just feel so grateful for my little life. I didn't talk much because I was just smiling ear to ear and in shock that my life gets to have experiences like this in them.

As the owner of Cameron Graphic Design in Santa Rosa, California, I spend much of my time designing publications, brochures, magazines, reports, and marketing materials. But every once in a while, a project comes along that becomes something much more personal. This book became one of those projects.

How I Met Lori Peelen

Many people assume I was hired first as the illustrator, but that isn't actually how our story began.

Lori had already partnered with the incredibly talented artist, Kathy Goetzel, whose traditional

artwork brought her children's book, Halfway to Heaven, to life. Once the illustrations were complete, the project needed someone to assemble everything into a finished publication. Putting the words on the paintings digitally, and getting the files ready for print and publishing.

That's where I came in.

Cameron Graphic Design does layout design. Perfect! Many people already know me for branding and designing for print, but publication layout has been one of my specialties throughout my career. I have designing magazines, newspapers, directories, educational publications, advertisements, brochures, business cards, banners, and other print materials.

Children's books combine many of those same skills into one project.

Working alongside Lori and Kathy, I transformed her manuscript and Kathy's beautiful paintings into a finished book that families could hold in their hands. It was a wonderful collaboration, and I enjoyed every second of it, along with building a strong relationship with Lori and Kathy making their dreams a reality.

I am fortunate to be able to say that wasn't the end of our partnership.

Becoming the Illustrator for Tree Home

After completing Halfway to Heaven, Lori approached me with another idea.

This time, she wasn't looking for JUST a layout designer.

She was looking for an illustrator.

That project eventually became Tree Home: Who Lives in Ancient Redwoods?

For nearly two years, I illustrated more than fifty pages of artwork, creating an educational comic that follows two young adventurers exploring one of California's greatest treasures: our ancient redwood forests.

As they climb through the towering branches of an old-growth redwood, readers meet the remarkable creatures that depend upon these forests for survival. Banana slugs, northern flying squirrels, giant salamanders, owls, and other native species become sassy, funny characters in a story that is 1/3rd adventure, 1/3rd hisotry and 1/3rd science lesson.

The story introduces children to the incredible biodiversity found only within ancient redwood ecosystems while helping them understand why preserving these forests matters. The animals need ancient redwoods! Not any old redwoods -- ANCIENT.

The Reward: Watching Children Discover the Story

This book signing marked the beginning in so many ways, but also the end of my personal journey making it. Signing at Sturgeon's Mill was such a celebration of this pivot. I loved watching children experience it for the first time, in real time.

Throughout the day at Sturgeon's Mill, kids would wander over to our little booth to check it out.

Multiple times, the same thing happened.

They would open the book to a random page and completely get immersed. Goodbye steam machines, goodbye whistle, goodbye grown ups.

Within moments, they disappeared into the story.

It was so clear that the whistles from the mill faded into the background. Steam burst from the machinery just a few yards away. Families continued walking past our table.

The children flipped one page, read it, then the next. Never looked up. Settling into a comfier pose, resting their head on their hands, and flip, flip, flipping the pages.

Watching that happen instantly transported me back to my own childhood. It reminded me of the Scholastic Book Fair at school. I didn't always have enough money to buy every book I wanted, but I still remember standing there reading page after page, completely forgetting where I was. Even if the book didn't come home with me, I left with the idea of it in my head.

Seeing today's kids have that same experience with a book I helped create was incredible.

Creating This Book: Full Circle Moments

There was another reason this project meant so much to me. While illustrating Tree Home, I thought constantly about my younger sister, Chiara.

Growing up, Chiara was always the one who loved nature the most. She cared deeply about animals, trees, flowers, and every living thing around her. Some of my favorite childhood memories were how nuts my sister could be. She demanded every bug be brought outside. She scream cried at my moms new seal-skin boots, she went vegetarian even though my family wasn't joining her in that venture. She was a loud, crazy, advocate for nature, animals, and the environment. She was always coming home with new facts about wildlife, and what we had to do to help it.

Every thumbnail, every page, every character, I found myself imagining what she would have loved as a child.

Would this animal make her smile?

Would this story inspire another child the same way books inspired her? I would imagine Baby-Chiara reading this book and falling in love with the animals. I could image her spirit and the book, in her honor, inspiring more Baby-Chiara's out there. Children who are deciding that they will change the world. They will help and inspire and bring joy. They will care and make a difference.

Something wonderful happened:

The week of the book being officially published, Chiara welcomed her own baby into the world.

Being able to give her a copy of the finished book felt incredibly meaningful. Lori generously allowed me to include my own dedication, and I dedicated my work to Chiara and Baby. It felt like the perfect way to honor the memories we shared while passing that love of nature on to another generation. Close to home, and far.

If even one child grows up caring a little more about forests, wildlife, or conservation because of this story, then every hour spent illustrating it was worthwhile.

Supporting Local Stories in Sonoma County

One of my favorite parts of this project is that it celebrates places many of us can actually visit.

Here in Sonoma County, we are surrounded by incredible natural beauty. The ancient redwoods are living ecosystems filled with remarkable plants and animals that deserve our care and attention. They're only found in Northern California! Which means their ecosystem is very important for local wildlife. As someone based in Santa Rosa, California, I feel incredibly fortunate to work on projects that celebrate our local community and environment.

Where You Can Find the Book

If you'd like to read Tree Home: Who Lives in Ancient Redwoods?, there are several ways to find it.

You can purchase a copy online, but I always recommend meeting Lori Peelen in person whenever possible. We plan to return to Sturgeon's Mill during their August demonstration weekend, where you'll have the opportunity to meet us, have your book signed, and experience the incredible atmosphere of the historic mill yourself.

I'm also donating a copy to the Sonoma County Library because I believe every child should have access to stories like this, whether or not their family purchases a copy. Libraries played a huge role in my own childhood, and I hope this book finds its way into many young readers' hands through those shelves.

This weekend, I remember feeling deeply grateful to have been part of bringing Lori Peelen's vision to life.

Moments like these remind me why I became a designer and illustrator in the first place. At Cameron Graphic Design, I love helping ideas become something people can hold, share, and remember. Sometimes that means designing a magazine or a brochure. Sometimes it means building the layout for a book. And sometimes it means spending two years illustrating a story that helps children discover the magic waiting high above the forest floor in an ancient redwood tree.