About
How it came to be
The idea for Agga came to my mind during the peak of the first Covid-19 lockdown. Staying at home day-in, and day out, I spent more time reading children’s books to my toddler and had my evenings free to contemplate ideas.
As an animal lover, father of little children, and writer, I felt that there are plenty of books about pets and farm animals, but much less about wild animals, and almost none about species that carry a bad reputation. I firmly believe that every species on this planet is impressive, and our prejudice against certain animals is sustained because of myths, superstitions, and ignorance.
So I began exploring different species, traits, and behaviors. I picked the characteristics I felt could provide a basis for a good story plot and inspire children.
The partnerships
In order for the books to have educational value, I reached out to experts with decades of experience researching and conducting fieldwork with different species. After introduction sessions, I was fortunate to have the Ngorongoro Hyena Project and the Crocodile Research Coalition on board. The two organizations work tirelessly researching and distributing information about spotted hyenas and crocodiles. Still, they devoted their time and efforts to consult about the factual basis of the stories, the plot, and the illustrations, and were key to the success of the Kickstarter campaign which helped fund the publishing of the books.
Alongside additional future activities, a portion of the profits from each item sold on this website will be donated to the organizations and support their efforts to further promote the understanding and welfare of the species they work with.
Kickstarter
Agga was created by a community of supporters. The idea behind it was validated when a Kickstarter fundraiser to help fund the publishing of the books reached its goal in January 2022.
Besides providing much-needed resources to complete the illustration of the books, the campaign created a buzz and sparked interest in the books.
The result:
- 146 backers
- 214 books delivered to 12 different countries