Welcome Deb Aronson!
Book: How to Raise a Rhino Author: Deb Aronson Genre / Age range: MG, Non-fiction
When I saw Deb Aronson’s cover for her book I was in awe. My first thought, a lady (Anna Merz) hugging a rhino incredible. My second thought, wait, that can’t be true, this must have been photoshopped. Can someone hug a rhino?
GUESS WHAT: No photoshopping. This is a TRUE story of Anna Merz, who was passionate about saving the black rhinos in Kenya. She postponed her retirement in 1976 to build the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.
I got a hold of Deb, I wanted to know more.
HOW WAS THE BOOK STARTED? Deb saw Anna Merz’s obituary in 2013, which included Boyd Norton’s photo of Anna with Samia (the rhino she raised from an infant). She thought this would be an amazing MG story.
HOW DID SHE RESEARCH THE BOOK? Deb researched this book for four years. She started by reading as much as she could on the internet. This led to Deb meeting Anna Merz’s god daughter (Naomi Campbell, not the model) and Kees Rookmaker, the Founder of Rhino Resource Center. Anna had donated her journals to Rookmaker, he shared many pages from those journals with Deb.
Soon she was talking to the American Association of Zoo Keepers (AAZK) who hosts trips for zoo keepers to the sanctuary. She was excited to go to Kenya to the sanctuary where Anna had lived; unfortunately, the house where Anna lived was torn down. She did meet Ian Craig, whose land the sanctuary was built on. Deb also met many knowledgeable and friendly guides and trackers, including these two Maasai men, Frances and Sapookia, seen here in their traditional clothes.
WHAT IS THIS STORY ABOUT? This story takes you through Anna’s journey from creating the sanctuary, to moving the rhinos to the sanctuary, fundraising, to adopting and raising Samia, an infant rhino, who she raised until she was old enough to survive on her on. Then Anna returned to the sanctuary to walk with Samia every day.
WHERE TO PURCHASE: How to Raise a Rhino is available for purchase anywhere books are sold. Visit DEB’S WEBSITE here.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Deb Aronson has been writing non-fiction for kids since 2008, when she joined SCBWI-Illinois. Her favorite part of what she does is interviewing interesting people.
When she’s not researching or writing, she likes to sail, garden and read…not all at the same time, though!
Spark of Inspiration 
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