NEXT GENERATION

Reviewed by Karen Zilliox Brown, The Longleaf Alliance

The Little Foresters are a dynamic foursome of friends introduced in this delightful book by Dana Bloome Chandler. The group shares a love for trees and a sense of self-sufficiency as they plot their route for a forest adventure. As they prepare for their journey, young readers are introduced to terminology like PPE (personal protective equipment) and various types of forestry equipment.

In The Big Thinning, the kids encounter an overgrown stand of pines and are troubled by the condition of the young trees packed into sunless rows, struggling for resources. As they observe the trees’ growth and health, their discussion mirrors the many options landowners consider when deciding to thin or harvest. Eventually, the foursome decides to call Larry the Logger on their walkie-talkies.

When Larry the Logger and his crew arrive, the kids are excited to have help with their management conundrum. They watch Larry and the other equipment operators work together to fell, delimb, stack, and load the log truck. They learn that forest products provide many of the conveniences we enjoy daily, and they hear from Larry that responsible foresters always replant after harvest.

The entire group is thrilled about a good day’s work in the woods. The book finishes with several photographs of actual thinning jobs from the author’s forestry company which are real-world examples for young readers of sunlit working forests.

“I wrote it over and over to find these kids’ voices and different personalities. It was challenging to make sure kids could see themselves in it.”

About the author:

Dana Bloome Chandler grew up in the small town of North, South Carolina, where she would often accompany her father on logging projects. Her love of the outdoors and early exposure to the field would lead to a career in forestry and logging. She majored in English at Claflin University, then received her Master’s in Forest Resources from the Warnell School of Forestry at the University of Georgia. There she was able to feed her passion with the necessary knowledge and techniques to become a skilled forester. Dana has worked as a forester across the Southeast with some of the largest forestry companies in the country. Now residing with her family in Sumter, South Carolina, she is the owner of Family Tree Forestry, LLC, and is active in the local forestry community.

TLA: What inspired you to write a children's book?

My daughter, Lana, and my childhood. Coming up, my sister and I were a challenge, so we would go to logging jobs with our dad. It would be early and hot, but it was always an adventure. We found streams, played in the creeks, threw rocks, and came back wet. They always kept an eye on us—safety first! But it was still an adventure. As a forester, I have my daughter out there with me now. After watching her walk through the woods, playing out there like I did, I thought: I need to write a children’s book so more kids can get involved and have their own forest adventures.

What was the most challenging part of writing this book? Making it fun but educational, too. It took time to find the right angle. I didn’t want to write from a forester’s perspective, and

I didn’t want to make the forester the hero or the teacher. I wrote it over and over to find these kids’ voices and different personalities. It was challenging to make sure kids could see themselves in it. I read many children’s books and watched a bunch of cartoons! And I read it over and over to Lana.

How did you choose what aspect of forestry to feature in the book?

I chose a thinning because it’s the perfect way to ease someone into forestry. There is a harvest activity, but you have trees left. And I wanted people to start recognizing thinnings when they drive around. I felt that it would be a good way to have people start paying attention to forestry.

What was most important for you to convey with this story?

That loggers aren’t bad. A lot of people look at loggers in a negative light, as destroying the land. And that’s personal for me because I used to get picked on at school because my dad is a logger. I want people to know loggers are people; they have kids and families. And they’re kind. They don’t want to tear up the land; they want to help it. And they need trees there so that they can keep working! So that’s the message that I wanted to get across. That’s why I made the logger the superhero. I left the forester out on purpose, but the forester will be there in some future stories.

Tell me more about the character Larry the Logger.

Well, Larry is based on my father, who eats, breathes, and sleeps logging. He loves it. He’s very smart, very bright, and knows his stuff. That’s why I had him in the book telling the kids about what needs to be done. Even as a forester with an education, I’ll talk things over with him, and he’ll have the right idea. I mean, he has more experience than me! And he engages with landowners; landowners come to him directly. He’ll ask about the right way to explain things sometimes, but he’s a great communicator. He just loves what he does. Are there any other characters inspired by people in your life?

My daughter, Lana. She’s that tomboy but also a pretty girl and a leader. Lana and her grandpa have the best relationship. So, I couldn’t put Larry the Logger in without having her there too. And Apollo the Poodle is based on my angel dog, who’s no longer with me.

Tell me about the illustrator, Vanessa Thompson.

I can’t brag about her enough. She did not know anything about forestry or logging before this. She did an amazing job bringing it to life, giving it so much color. I gave her what I envisioned, and she put it on paper, all 32 pages.

Will we see more adventures of The Little Foresters?

Yes. The next one will be about clearcuts. I’m writing it in a way where a clearcut isn’t the end but the beginning. I want to share the message that logging is not bad, and clearcuts are not bad. It’s the beginning of something new. So, there’ll be more adventures for The Little Foresters!

Where can readers find your book?

ForestryInBloome.com is my website. I handle all the sales and shipping myself.