Earlier this year I attended a workshop about animal communication. One of the speakers was Helena Kriel the Founder and Board President from Baby Rhino Rescue. The book “The Rhino In Me: A Story of Friendship, Protection and Milk Lollies” was inspired by her story about a baby rhino and a sheep. This book has been created together with the brilliant TheBeezyTeacher.
This book is about a baby Rhino who loses his mum. Poaching of rhinos is a major problem. There is still a market for rhino horns, and it is the far eastern consumers, in particular the Vietnamese, who are behind the huge increase in the slaughter of rhinos in the last decade. Rhino horns are still surprisingly and sadly regarded as a symbol of wealth and power.
Conservationists work hard to prevent the poachers from killing rhinos. But they also work hard to help and support motherless rhinos. Providing a suitable environment with lots of mud and space to run around is vital to ensure that rescued baby rhinos are happy and thriving.
Rhino are surprisingly fast, considering their short legs. And irresistibly cute!
Friends are important! Goats and sheep make excellent friends. And everyone knows that rhinos are always hungry. Feeding a rescued baby rhino is not always easy. But Remi in the story decides, after some persuasion, that milk lollies are just what he needs.
This picture book might have a dark beginning but Remi is a strong survivor, and the aim is to not only highlight the importance of stopping poachers but also to provide hope for the survival of this amazing ecosystem engineer. We will return to this in a later post.
The book “The Rhino In Me has not been released yet. I will keep you updated.
The ideal gift for every animal lover
Enter into the exciting and challenging world of friendship, milk lollies and poaching.
Do you have a little animal lover at home who simply can’t get enough of animal stories? This easy to read book deals with compassion for nature and is sure to captivate and educate young readers about rhinos. The books is filled with amazing real-life photos of Rhinos and is sure to spark questions about important topics like rhino conservation.
Once the love and compassion for animals have been established, the door is open for life-long learning. So why not give your young reader the gift of love for animals with The Rhino in Me – A Story of Friendship, Protection and Milk Lollies?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is biomimicry?
Biomimicry is the practice of looking to nature for solutions, then applying what we learn to design and problem-solving. Instead of inventing from scratch, it means studying how plants, animals, and ecosystems have already solved a challenge — like staying cool, collecting water, or absorbing carbon — and adapting that strategy for human use.
How does biomimicry help address climate change?
Nature has been adapting to extreme conditions for billions of years, so many organisms already hold working solutions to problems we now face at a larger scale — cooling buildings without electricity (termite mounds), collecting water in drought (the Namib beetle), protecting coastlines from storms (mangrove roots), and capturing carbon (corals, forests, kelp). Biomimicry means studying those solutions and applying the same principles to human design.
How can children get involved in biomimicry?
Children don’t need special training to think like a biomimicrist — just curiosity and a habit of asking “how does nature solve this?” Simple ways to start include a backyard scavenger hunt for nature’s patterns, a “design-an-animal” challenge for a changing climate, or building a small model (like a passive-cooling structure or a water collector) inspired by something they’ve observed outdoors.
Is biomimicry only for scientists and engineers?
No — biomimicry is as much a mindset as a profession. Anyone can practice it by observing nature closely and asking design questions. Professional biomimicry practitioners apply it in architecture, materials science, and engineering, but the same core skill — careful observation followed by “what if we built it that way?” — is exactly what this post’s classroom and family activities are designed to build in children.
Åsa Jomård
In 2015, Åsa completed a course in Biomimicry: A Sustainable Design Methodology at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. With over 10 years of experience exploring nature for inspiration and as a former member of Ben, Biomimicry Education Network, she brings both academic background and creative teaching experience to her work. Her materials seamlessly integrate stories, nature observations, and design challenges, making them perfect for inquiry-led learning in early primary contexts.
AI was used as a Thinking Partner.