Explore The World
Created for curious children ages 4–8, Explore the World combines science, geography, unforgettable characters, rhyming stories, beautiful illustrations, fascinating real-world facts and photography into unforgettable ecosystem adventures and inspires children to love and protect our diverse natural world.
🌎 10 Books
🦋 10 Ecosystems
🐘 Hundreds of Animals
❤️ One Mission: Help children fall in love with our planet.
Sandy the Saguaro & Her Desert Friends
Meet Sandy, A curious little cactus who introduces readers to the incredible Sonoran Desert and all the amazing creatures who call it home. Illustrated by my friend, the very talented, Shannon Belock. Ready for print.
The Next Explore the World
Characters and Ecosystems
Sandy the Saguaro & Her Desert Friends was the very first Explore the World story created and introduces children to one of North America's most remarkable ecosystems through rhyming storytelling, beautiful illustrations, and real-world discovery. Now to introduce curious minds to more characters, environments, friends and nature with nine additional journeys ready to launch.
*The images below representing the following books in the series are artificial. The real authentic illustrations are being completed by the very talented Shannon Belock 🎨🧡
Oliver the Octopus & His Ocean Friends
Meet Oliver, an adventurous little octopus who explores colorful coral reefs and introduces young readers to the amazing animals of the ocean. Through playful rhymes and fascinating facts, children discover one of Earth's most diverse underwater ecosystems.
Story complete • Professional illustrations in progress
"What a perfect day for a swim down below.
The colors ahead are like a water rainbow.
The reef is such a beautiful place.
Bright plants and animals all in their space.
When you find a treasure from the sea,
know that it is a gift to you from me.
I sure had fun spending time together.
I hope you keep learning and exploring forever."
Meet Molly, a curious little monkey who swings through the Amazon Rainforest discovering incredible animals, towering trees, and hidden wonders. Along the way, readers learn why rainforests are some of the most important ecosystems on Earth.
Story complete • Professional illustrations in progress
Molly the Monkey & Her Amazon Friends
"The sun is setting and it is starting to get dark.
That means it’s time for my favorite bug to make a spark!
So wonderful to see. Look what we found!
Fireflies are amazing, like stars dancing around.
So many different plants, and animals we saw;
Like frogs, sloths, jaguars and even a macaw
Thank you for coming to the rainforest today.
It is a great place to eat, discover and play."
Meet Paul, a friendly young polar bear who journeys across the frozen Arctic while meeting the remarkable animals that thrive in one of the harshest environments on Earth. Readers discover glaciers, sea ice, and the incredible adaptations that help Arctic wildlife survive.
Story complete • Professional illustrations in progress
Paul the Polar Bear & His Arctic Friends
"We can even see glaciers made of Ice!
I love it here, it's so beautiful and nice.
See all the seals laying around in the snow?
They also love swimming in the ocean below.
Puffins are nicknamed Clowns of the sea.
Out here those bright beaks look silly as can be.
Did you know puffins are birds that can swim and fly?
They dive under water for fish and have wings for the sky."
Ellie the Elephant and her Grassland Friends
A journey across the African savanna.
Story outline complete.
Titus the Tiger and his Jungle Friends
Exploring one of Earth's richest forests. Story outline complete.
Brittany the Butterfly and her Flying Friends
Following migration, pollination, and amazing insects. Story outline complete.
Ben the Bear and His Mountain Friends
High peaks, alpine forests, and incredible wildlife. Story outline complete.
Opal the Otter and her River Friends
Floating through rivers full of life.
Story outline complete.
Ken the Kangaroo and his Outback Friends
Discovering Australia's unique landscapes. Story outline complete.
Every Explore the World Book ends with these words...
"I sure had fun spending time together.
I hope you keep learning and exploring forever."
Journey Around the World
Watch as each story takes readers to a different ecosystem across our amazing planet.
Why I Created This Series
When my son Titus was in second grade, his class was learning remotely during COVID. One morning while visiting my hometown of Tucson, Arizona, he joined class with a giant saguaro cactus visible behind him. His teacher stopped the lesson and asked, "What is that behind you?" Soon the entire class was asking questions about saguaros, the Sonoran Desert, and Arizona. It surprised me how many children had never seen a saguaro or knew anything about one of North America's most unique ecosystems.
That moment sparked an idea.
What if children could travel the world without leaving home? What if every story introduced them to a different ecosystem through lovable animal characters, beautiful illustrations, real photographs, and memorable rhymes?
That became Explore the World.
The first book, Sandy the Saguaro and Her Desert Friends, celebrates the Sonoran Desert and honors both the place where I grew up and my grandmother, Sandy, whose kindness and curiosity inspired me throughout my life.
My hope is simple:
To help children fall in love with the natural world—one ecosystem at a time.
How Every Book Works
Dive into various worlds of ecosystems around the plant as you experience the birth and growth of the main character and join as they discover and explore the world around them.
📖 A fully illustrated rhyming story
🦊 Animal friends
🌵 Plants
🌎 Geography
🧠 Did You Know pages
🗺 Maps
📸 Real photographs
❤️ Life lessons
Educational Benefits
Children will:
✔ Learn geography
✔ Learn ecosystems
✔ Learn animals
✔ Build vocabulary
✔ Improve reading confidence
✔ Develop curiosity
✔ Strengthen memory through rhyme
Inside the Books
At the end of every rhyming illustrated adventure the books feature four "Did You Know" pages with real photographs of the featured main character with fascinating real world facts.
Meet the Illustrator
Shannon Belock
Shannon and I have been friends since middle school, when she was already filling notebooks with imaginative sketches of classmates, friends, and the worlds she dreamed up. Nearly three decades later, it's a privilege to see those childhood talents helping bring Pointed West to life.
Beginning with Sandy the Saguaro, Shannon is creating original illustrations that combine scientific accuracy with playful storytelling, helping children connect with the beauty of our natural world. Every Explore the World book begins the same way—researching real ecosystems together before Shannon transforms them into imaginative worlds children can explore.
Shannon Belock is the lead illustrator for the Explore the World series. Her warm, expressive artwork brings each ecosystem to life while capturing the curiosity and personality of every character.
Our Vision for Impact
Imagine a child who has never seen the Arctic...
meeting a polar bear through story.
Imagine classrooms exploring coral reefs, deserts, rainforests and mountains together.
Imagine children growing up not only recognizing ecosystems but caring enough to protect them.
That is the future we're building.
Why Now?
Today's children spend less time outdoors than previous generations while environmental literacy becomes increasingly important. Explore the World helps reconnect young readers with the natural world through curiosity, storytelling and discovery.
Perfect For
Families
Classrooms
Homeschool
Libraries
Nature Centers
Zoos
Parks
Growing the Explore the World Ecosystem
We're building much more than a children's book series.
Our vision is to create a complete ecosystem of educational resources that help children discover and care about our planet.
Future projects include:
📚 Additional Explore the World books
🧩 Printable activity pages
🎥 Animated story videos
🗺️ Interactive ecosystem maps
🎒 Classroom curriculum
🍎 Homeschool resources
🎨 Coloring books
🧸 Plush characters
🎲 Educational games
🏛️ Museum and zoo partnerships
🌎 Global ecosystem collections
Every new project helps children fall in love with the natural world.
The world is full of incredible places.
We hope every story inspires one more question, one more adventure, and one more child to fall in love with learning.
