The Zoo Guardians

    By Jessica Daggett

    The Zoo Guardians cover image

    04 May, 2024

    a group of children walking through a forest with animals around them and a giraffe in the background, Diego Gisbert Llorens, primitivism, a storybook illustration, promotional image

    Lucy and Tom, two best friends, were visiting the city zoo. They were excited to see all the different animals and learn about them.

    a girl in a red dress standing in front of owls in a zoo with a group of people behind her, Aaron Jasinski, magical realism, a storybook illustration, comic cover art

    Their first stop was the owl exhibit. Mr. Owl, the oldest in the zoo, began telling them about how climate change was affecting his natural habitat.

    a girl with a backpack and monkey in the background in the jungle with trees and plants and birds flying around, Diego Gisbert Llorens, fantastic realism, a storybook illustration, cgstudio

    In the rainforest exhibit, Mrs. Monkey explained how deforestation was causing her family to lose their home, stressing the importance of planting more trees.

    a girl and a girl standing in front of a group of parrots in a jungle with a woman standing next to her, Diego Gisbert Llorens, lyco art, a storybook illustration, official art

    Mr. Parrot chimed in about how the changing weather patterns were affecting his migration patterns, emphasizing on reducing carbon emissions.

    a painting of a polar bear and two children looking at it in a snowy area with ice and icicles, Diego Gisbert Llorens, environmental art, a storybook illustration, storybook illustration

    At the polar exhibit, Mrs. Polar Bear shared about the melting ice caps and how it was harder to find food, urging the need to conserve energy.

    two children standing next to penguins on a beach with a mountain in the background and a body of water, Colin Middleton, process art, a storybook illustration, promotional image

    Mr. Penguin talked about the rising sea levels affecting his nesting grounds, advocating for cleaner and greener energy alternatives.

    a painting of a couple of kids looking at a beehive in a garden with bees flying around, Carol Sutton, environmental art, a storybook illustration, promotional image

    In the bee exhibit, Mrs. Bee explained how the changing seasons were affecting the flowers' blooming periods, stressing the importance of local farming.

    a boy and a girl standing in a garden with bees flying overhead and flowers in the background, and a man and woman standing in front of them, Aaron Jasinski, fantastic realism, a storybook illustration, promotional image

    Lucy and Tom listened attentively, taking in every word and feeling a newfound responsibility to protect their planet.

    a couple of kids standing next to each other in front of a gate with animals behind them and a fence with a gated in area with a gate and a fence, Aaron Jasinski, private press, a storybook illustration, promotional image

    As they left the zoo, they promised to do their part in combating climate change, starting from their own homes.

    a boy and a girl are walking through a park with their dogs and cats on a sunny day with blue skies, Aaron Jasinski, lyco art, a storybook illustration, storybook illustration

    They decided to plant more trees in their neighborhood, conserve energy, support local farming, and educate others about the climate crisis.

    a boy and a girl are standing in front of a group of monkeys and monkeys in a jungle setting, Diego Gisbert Llorens, sumatraism, a storybook illustration, promotional image

    Lucy and Tom felt empowered. They realized that even as children, they could make a difference and help save the planet.

    a group of children standing in front of a gate with giraffes and other animals in the background, Carol Sutton, paris school, a storybook illustration, promotional image

    From that day forward, they became little guardians of the Earth, carrying the lessons they learned from the zoo animals in their hearts.