Deborah Hodge on Teaching and Writing

From Teaching to Writing

A Wild and Beautiful Place

by Deborah Hodge

“There is a wild and beautiful place where an ancient rainforest meets the ocean, where whales swim and eagles soar. Waves splash up on a windswept beach, and sea and sky go on forever.”  

This is the opening to West Coast Wild: A Nature Alphabet (Groundwood, 2015), the first of four books for primary-aged children in a series I wrote about the ecology of the awe-inspiring Pacific west coast, with illustrations by Karen Reczuch and published by Groundwood Books.  

Featuring black bears, gray wolves, bald eagles, orcas, cougars and more, these books are full of the wild creatures that children adore. How do I know? I spent more than a decade as a primary teacher – a job that I loved, with wonderful students that I’ve never forgotten. My time in the classroom informs every book I write. 

Children in the primary grades are keen nature lovers and they experience a deep and genuine sense of wonder as they observe and interact with the natural world. Their enthusiasm and joy in learning about nature is unparalleled. 

When I write, I try very hard to capture this sense of wonder. Like my students, I love to observe the cycles of the seasons and the earth, and to learn about the plants and animals that share our world. It’s fun to think (while working on a book) that young readers and I are watching and learning about the world together. 

I always ask myself, “Will the children find this interesting?” “Will they be excited?” “Is there something valuable they will learn about the world or themselves?” 

As an author (and former teacher), I believe it’s my job to encourage exploration and thought, to make big concepts understandable in bite-sized pieces, and to find the essence of a topic and explain it in child-friendly terms. How do I do this?  

I keep the word count short. I think hard about how illustrations can convey meaning and deliver the information I am trying to provide. I consider the rhythm of sentences and a brevity of text that won’t overwhelm a young reader. I endeavor to find the most interesting facts I can – ones that have great appeal for kids. And I do everything in my power to ensure that children receive a gorgeous-looking book.  

Unlike many authors, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to work alongside the talented illustrator of these books, Karen Reczuch, who has become a close friend. For our most recent book, West Coast Wild Rainforest (Groundwood, 2024)– the fourth and final book in our West Coast Wild series – we spent the better part of a week hiking through the spectacular old-growth rainforests on the magnificent west coast of Vancouver Island. Together, we were able to admire, with awe, the majestic trees that towered above us – some being hundreds or even thousands of years old. On our hikes, we shared a vision for our book and took many photographs that became the basis for Karen’s spectacular art. 

What did we see? Trees as tall as twenty-storey buildings, tiny seedlings sprouting on “nursery logs” and brightly coloured salmon spawning in streams that run through the ancient forests teeming with life in every shade of green. 

What did we learn? That the salmon, as a keystone species, connects the wild Pacific Ocean to the rainforest and provides a rich source of food for the bears, wolves, eagles and other creatures that live in this pristine wilderness.  

Also, that the remains of the fish add vital nutrients to the forest and feed the lush green plants and trees. In turn, the trees shade the streams and protect the baby salmon that hatch and swim to the sea. It is a wonderful cycle of nature! 

My hope with this book is that children will find an engaging narrative about the interdependence of the forest species, and will experience delight while learning about the amazing flora and fauna of this rare ecosystem.  

People often ask me if I wish I were still in the classroom. My answer? Although I miss seeing the students every day, I still feel like I’m talking to them whenever I write a book. I love the process of trying to create something that young readers will find interesting.