Hubert’s Hunt For Home
Frogs are a valuable and diverse member of our planet’s ecosystem. They play a crucial role as both prey and predator which helps maintain the population balance within their food chains. They act as a prominent resource to medical researchers as well as serving as an indicator species. But these valued critters are under attack. Around the world, frog species have been fighting against human expansion, disease, invasive species, and the destruction of their habitats. Their populations and total number of species are in decline, and they are on route to a mass extinction. Over the last century, we have lost approximately 200 species of frogs, and many more are on track to join them. Unfortunately, this issue has gone on without much attention or general awareness. Without proper data, awareness, and public interest, this catastrophe will continue to grow until it is too late. We must find ways to educate the masses and raise awareness so that this issue can be properly prioritized.
Frogs have always held a special place in my heart. Growing up, I took every chance I could to seek out frogs and observe them up close. When I learned of this ongoing extinction, I was shocked. I had heard about many different species facing extinction and all the efforts to save them, but never anything about frogs. As I shared my newfound knowledge of the issue with friends and family, I found that no one else had heard of this issue either. This lack of awareness was something that needed addressing, and I began thinking of ways I could help. I decided to utilize my skills as a designer and illustrator to tackle the problem.
Hubert’s Hunt For Home was my solution. I had doodled a small frog in the margins of my notebook and decided that he would make the perfect spokesman for the plights facing frogs. I began by giving him a name and a quest. Hubert was born and his hunt for a home began. Throughout his journeys, I made sure he encountered many of the problems that are causing so much harm to frogs around the world. His quest for a place to belong allowed me to put readers in a frog’s shoes as he struggled to escape the many dangers facing frogs. Before I knew it, I had written and illustrated a children’s book.
Once I had a book, I needed a way to display it and capture people’s attention. I took inspiration from the pop up displays found at libraries and bookstores. I wanted to create a display that made it feel like readers had stepped into the story book. I created a pond environment with grass, cattails, flies, and of course, Hubert. This display housed a handful of books as well as a variety of variety of stickers for readers to take home with them. This would hopefully inspire them to look into the matter further on their own time, as well as spark conversation about the issue.
