On World Environment Day, Disney Launches the Planet Possible Books Program

Disney's Planet Possible Books launches on World Environment Day, offering eco-friendly children's books with themes of environmental activism and sustainability.

on Jun 06, 2024

On World Environment Day, Disney Launches the Planet Possible Books Program | Frontlist

The Walt Disney Company has launched a new children's book program called Planet Possible Books. In a launch scheduled to coincide with the United Nations World Environment Day on June 5, the corporation announced plans to designate three to four children's books each year as Disney Planet Possible publications. Books will be produced in the United States on 30% post-consumer recycled paper and paper sourced from ethically managed forests, with inks certified for bio-renewable content.

The program is led by Sylvie Frank, editorial director for acquisitions at Disney Hyperion, with the first Planet Possible titles going on sale in February 2025. All four are fictitious picture books "under the Hyperion umbrella, but grouped under the Disney Planet Possible Books logo," Frank said.

The program's qualifications include "high quality storytelling by a diverse slate of authors and illustrators" as well as stories about environmental activism, conservation, or stewardship. "Greener book production" is another of Frank's long-term objectives.

Frank, who joined Disney in 2021, was looking for a means to publish children's books that addressed environmental issues. "I kept bringing manuscripts about environmentalism and conservation to our editorial meetings, and they didn't quite fit our character- and voice-driven list," she explained. Frank believes that a book "inspires action" and portrays young people as "the true heroes of the story." Each Planet Possible Book will have back matter relevant to the content, such as things children "can do at home, in their community, and beyond."

Bruce Saves the Planet was designed by Ryan T. Higgins, creator and illustrator of Hyperion's Bruce the Bear series, for the launch of Planet Possible. "I'm interested in the idea of wildland conservation, so when Sylvie Frank told me about Planet Possible, I wanted to put Bruce in a situation where he could save the forest in a humorous way," Higgins stated. He set out to promote two fundamental ideas: "The first is to safeguard the land and the animals who live on it.

The second is activism, in which people band together to make their voices heard.

Wendy Mass (The Lost Library; Lo & Behold) created a three-book series for children aged 6 to 8 about an environmentally conscientious girl named Green Jolene. Green Jolene in the Neighborhood Swap, illustrated by Billy Yong, will be published by Hyperion and part of the Planet Possible program. "My goal was to make Jolene a fun, likable character who just happens to be embarking on a journey toward sustainable living, while taking young readers along with her for the ride," Mass stated.

In the first book, Jolene misses a close friend who has moved away, but at the end of the story, she has "hatched a big idea that has helped the whole neighborhood," Mass said. "Readers get to learn along with her that sometimes not everything is in our control, but that we can still make amazing things happen if we let our passions guide us, no matter our age."

Planet Possible will add two more picture books to its initial list. Hard Hat Hank and the Sky-High Solution by Charlotte Gunnufson, illustrated by Brian Biggs, discusses a potential solution after birds nest on a construction worker's job site.

If You Find a Fawn: A What-to-Do for Wild Wanderers, written by Kellie DuBay Gillis and drawn by Wazza Pink, explores animal families' vulnerability and self-sufficiency.

Frank will continue to head Disney Hyperion's acquisitions while also working on Planet Possible with her creative team, which includes Tyler Nevins and Zareen Johnson. "We are hoping that our partners at National Geographic Kids will also contribute books to this program at some point," she stated. "That hasn't happened yet," but Disney is looking into the potential.

"Disney is known for engaging storytelling and I'm so proud of these hopeful stories about environmentalism, sustainability, and stewardship," added Frank. "As a company we have this incredibly large and loyal audience, and I'm excited for them to read these books."