Dale V. Atkins is the author of the new children's picture book Dear Deer. Her other books include The Turquoise Butterfly. She is also a psychologist, and she lives in Connecticut.
Q: What inspired you to write Dear Deer?
A: Dear Deer was inspired by a real-life experience I had
while walking in nature in June of 2021. I encountered a baby fawn trapped in a
pond as the tide was rising. Nearby, a distressed doe repeatedly approached,
retreated, and watched me. It felt as though she was enlisting my help.
Together, in a remarkable way, we became partners in
ensuring that her fawn did not drown. That unforgettable experience became the
foundation for the story.
As a psychologist, mother, and grandmother, I am
increasingly concerned that many children are growing up disconnected from the
natural world. Too often, they experience life through screens rather than
through their senses. Nature invites children to slow down, look closely,
listen carefully, notice patterns, ask questions, and engage fully with the
world around them.
When children spend time outdoors, they naturally activate
all of their senses. They learn to observe rather than simply consume
information. They discover how to focus, wonder, wait, and pay attention. These
experiences strengthen curiosity, empathy, patience, creativity, and problem
solving. They also help children develop a deeper sense of connection to
themselves, to others, and to the living world around them.
Through Dear Deer, I wanted to encourage children and adults
to reconnect with nature and with one another. The story is ultimately about
paying attention, responding with compassion, and recognizing that we are part
of nature, not separate from it.
It is also about empathy and stewardship. When children
learn to care about the creatures and habitats around them, they are more
likely to become thoughtful caretakers of the world they will inherit.
Q: What do you think Amelina Jones’s illustrations add to
this book?
A: Amelina Jones's illustrations bring an extraordinary
sense of life, warmth, and wonder to Dear Deer. From the very beginning, she
understood that this story was not simply about two children encountering
wildlife. It was about entering a living, breathing world filled with beauty,
mystery, and connection.
What I admire most is her ability to capture the awe and
curiosity of the children as they explore the forest. Their expressions invite
readers to see the natural world through fresh eyes, noticing details, asking
questions, and experiencing the excitement of discovery. You can almost feel
their sense of wonder as they move through the story.
At the same time, Amelina beautifully portrays the animals
as active participants in the life of the forest. The deer, birds, insects, and
other creatures are not simply background characters. They are engaged in their
own busy, purposeful lives.
Readers see animals caring for their young, searching for
food, exploring, resting, and interacting with their environment. This helps
children appreciate that nature is full of relationships and activity, whether
or not humans are present.
Her illustrations are rich with details that reward careful
observation. Each time I look at them, I notice something new. She has created
a forest that feels both real and enchanted, a place where children can
imagine, explore, and feel connected to something larger than themselves. The
light, movement, textures, and expressions draw readers into the story and
encourage them to linger on every page.
I believe Amelina's artwork does more than illustrate the
text. It expands it. She captures the emotional heart of the story and deepens
its message of wonder, empathy, and connection to the natural world.
Her illustrations invite children to slow down, look
closely, and experience the forest not simply as a setting, but as a vibrant
community of living beings. That gift is one of the things that makes Dear Deer
so special.
Q: What do you think the book says about interacting with
nature?
A: I believe Dear Deer reminds us that interacting with
nature is not about conquering it, controlling it, or rushing through it. It is
about entering the natural world with curiosity, humility, respect, and wonder.
The book encourages children and adults to slow down and pay
attention. When we take the time to observe a bird building a nest, a butterfly
moving from flower to flower, or a deer caring for her fawn, we begin to see
that nature is full of stories, relationships, and lessons. We learn that we
are not separate from the natural world. We are part of it.
One of the central messages of the book is that meaningful
interaction with nature begins with noticing. In our fast-paced world, many of
us move quickly from one activity to the next without truly seeing what is
around us. Nature invites us to use all our senses. To look closely. To listen.
To wonder. To be present. Those experiences help children develop patience,
focus, empathy, and a deeper appreciation for life.
The book also suggests that caring about nature grows from
connection. When children spend time outdoors and become familiar with the
creatures, plants, and habitats around them, they are more likely to feel
compassion and a sense of responsibility toward them. Stewardship begins with
relationship.
At the same time, Dear Deer offers an important lesson about
helping. Sometimes interacting with nature means stepping in when a living
creature is truly in danger. Other times it means knowing when to observe
respectfully and allow nature to unfold on its own. Learning that balance is
part of developing wisdom and respect for the natural world.
Ultimately, I hope the book encourages readers to see nature
not simply as a place to visit, but as a source of connection, learning,
restoration, and amazement. Some of life's most important lessons can emerge
when we slow down, pay attention, and allow ourselves to be fully present in
the world around us.
Q: You also have a YouTube channel focusing on nature--can
you tell us more about that?
A: I began these brief Nature Walk Talks during the COVID
pandemic, when so many people were feeling isolated, overwhelmed, and
disconnected from one another and from the natural world. My hope was simple:
to invite people outside, even for a few minutes, to join me and hopefully experience
the comfort, perspective, strength, and hope that nature so generously offers.
On each walk, I encourage you to slow down, breathe deeply,
and notice. Together, we explore the lessons nature can teach us about
resilience, patience, adaptation, connection, and wonder. Sometimes we pause to
reflect on a personal challenge. Sometimes we simply observe the beauty around
us. Often, nature provides a fresh perspective that helps us see our lives
differently.
As a psychologist, educator, mother, grandmother, and
lifelong nature lover, I believe that spending time outdoors is not merely an
escape from daily life. It is a way of reconnecting with ourselves and the
larger world of which we are a part.
Nature reminds us that we are both significant and small. We
are connected to something much larger than ourselves. A changing season, a
determined seedling, a soaring bird, or the rhythm of the tides can offer
wisdom, comfort, and perspective when we need it most.
I ask people to join me as I explore the simple yet profound
gifts of the natural world. Together, we breathe, notice, learn, and discover
how nature can help us live with greater calm, curiosity, gratitude, and hope.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I have begun leading group experiences designed to help people
slow down, connect, and restore themselves through time spent in nature and in
conversation with others.
These walks bring together people who may know one another,
such as colleagues, friends, or community groups, as well as people meeting for
the first time. Along the way, participants are invited to observe, reflect,
share, and learn from both nature and one another.
Whether walking with health care professionals seeking a
much-needed break and reset, community members looking for connection, or
groups interested in learning about local wildlife and ecosystems, each walk
offers an opportunity to step away from daily pressures and reconnect with what
matters most.
Drawing upon my experience as a psychologist, educator,
storyteller, and lifelong observer of the natural world, I incorporate brief
mindfulness practices, sensory awareness, gentle conversation prompts, poetry,
and lessons from nature.
Participants may be invited to notice the resilience of an
osprey returning each spring, the patience of a heron waiting for the right
moment, or the interconnectedness of a forest ecosystem and consider how these
observations might apply to their own lives.
Nature has a remarkable ability to bring people together.
Walking side by side often makes conversation easier, reduces stress,
encourages curiosity, and creates space for authentic connection. Participants
leave not only with a deeper appreciation of the natural world, but often with
new perspectives, renewed energy, and a greater sense of belonging.
I am also “playing with the idea” of writing a third
children’s book about osprey. Like the osprey, we all face journeys that
require courage. We may leave familiar places, encounter challenges, and
sometimes feel uncertain. Yet with patience, resilience, and the support of
those who care for us, we discover strengths we never knew we had and often
find our way home.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Dale V. Atkins.
