Naoko Stoop – illustratör

I drew a heart, and another one after... The hearts filled the pages, spilled over the edges, all these hearts that were in no way the same...A little boy spends the day drawing hearts-wavy hearts, wiggly hearts, wide hearts and tiny hearts, broken hearts and polka-dotted hearts-and each heart a reminder of a favourite memory: dancing, kite flying, first steps, and more.This poignant and lyrical book with vibrant illustrations celebrates a multigenerational family, creativity, and love.

Kaavan grew up in captivity in a Pakistani zoo. For years, he lived in poor conditions with only one friend, an elephant named Saheli. After Saheli died, Kaavan was overcome by grief and his health worsened. When animal rights activists around the world were alerted to Kaavan's deteriorating condition, Dr. Amir Khalil visited the elephant to see what could be done.Thanks to the virality of Kaavan's story-and with the publicity and fundraising efforts of pop culture icon Cher-Dr. Khalil was able to orchestrate moving Kaavan to the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary, where he now lives with other elephants. Because of the care and help of so many, Kaavan is no longer the world's loneliest elephant. And that is the best news of all.