The Friends of the Verde River nonprofit is publishing its first book, “On the Verde River,” a children’s book intended to raise awareness of conservation.
The book will be the first book for children about the Verde River, and was written by Arizona native Phoebe Fox and illustrated by Jim Fox. The Foxes were introduced to Friends of the Verde River by a former board member in 2022.
The book is based on a poem Phoebe Fox wrote about the Verde River and was illustrated by Jim Fox, Phoebe’s father-in-law.
Friends shared the concept with Dawn Bershader, who passed the idea onto the Gerald Rosenbluth Family Fund, which gave Friends a grant to cover the cost of publishing and mailing copies for free to schools and libraries within the Verde River watershed.
“The theme here is generosity and love,” said executive director Nancy Steele. “People who love the Verde River have been so generous in making this book come to life.”
Fox was born in Phoenix and has lived in Arizona her entire life. She studied early childhood development at ASU and later received a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. She worked as a first grade teacher and a library media specialist before having children and later returned to library work.
“Ironically, as a child, reading was always challenging for me, but I loved books,” Fox said. “Writing came more easily. I love to write simple stories and enjoy the challenge of writing in rhyme.”
Fox published her first children’s book, “Starry’s Haircut,” about a sheep who is afraid to have her wool sheared, in 2015. She later entered a picture book manuscript contest, which she won with her story “Up Up Up,” launching her career as a children’s book author.
Fox was drawn to writing books for children out of her love for picture books.
“I love the way they tell a story in a minimal amount of words; I love the variety of illustrations and I also love how deceptively simple they are,” Fox said. “Reading is woven into all other important subjects, and I believe it is the most essential skill for young children to learn. Not only is it necessary in order to gain knowledge about the world around us, but it opens the imagination to limitless possibilities. Reading allows the reader to observe the world through another’s eyes; it takes them on adventures; and it can give them experiences that they might never have had.”
Fox and her husband purchased a property on the Verde River in 2018 and spend time there working on the land, camping, watching the animals, fishing and kayaking.
One afternoon, while sitting under a cottonwood tree, she began writing a poem about the river, which she later shared at a fundraiser for Friends of the Verde River. It was well received and she suggested making it into a children’s book.
The book takes the reader through a day along the Verde River. The morning brings exposure to herons, rabbits and squirrels. A family sets up camp and enjoys boating, fishing and stargazing. An appendix at the end of the book includes facts about all of the plants and animals mentioned.
“The Verde River certainly inspires me,” Fox said. “I love nature and animals, and I try to spend as much time in it as possible.”
Jim Fox is a Signature Artist with the Arizona Watercolor Association and with the National Watercolor Society. This is the third book on which Phoebe and Jim have collaborated.
“One goal was definitely to build awareness of the importance of the Verde River,” Fox said. “I also hope the book inspires people to spend more time in nature. The fun facts at the back of the book were especially fun to research and write, and it makes me so happy to imagine children learning all about the flora and fauna in the Verde Valley.”
While this is Fox’s first Arizona-themed book, she hopes to write others in this vein.
“The reason why we were so excited about this book is that it ties into our mission of keeping the Verde River system healthy and flowing,” Steele said. “Children are our future. Engaging children and their parents more in learning about and loving the Verde River is foundational. We can’t save a river if no one cares. The book also includes fun information about the animals and plants that live here. We hope teachers and parents will be able to use it to teach about our rivers and the importance of conservation.”
Fox has also written two books about mammal mothers and babies, and her latest book, “Julian Blooms,” is about a late-blooming peacock.
“When young children play in nature, experiencing different kinds of weather, learning about the elements, observing animals and how plants change with the seasons, their brains benefit; they build important memories; and they learn to appreciate nature,” Fox said. “I think the more children understand about nature, the more they are likely to help protect it.”
Friends of the Verde River plan to have the book available for sale on its website by Sept. 4 and will be selling it at Verde River Day on Sept. 30 after distributing copies to local schools and libraries.
