A Whole New World – Founder Teigan Margetts on Ethicool Books

Just Write For Kids are delighted to discover this rising children’s book publisher; leading our young children with the inspiration to make a change for a more sustainable and fair world. Founder, Teigan Margetts from Ethicool Books speaks to us about her inspiration and drive to create beautiful, meaningful books that build a future generation of ‘superheroes’. Thanks, Teigan!

Teigan, please tell us a bit about your brand, and its important message you aim to deliver?

 Ethicool Books create kids’ books that educate, entertain and encourage children to take action on the world’s big issues.

Our heartfelt and beautifully illustrated books discuss sustainability, climate change, ocean care, gender equality, poverty and a range of other issues.

We’re hoping to create little superheroes who grow up understanding the challenges their generation will face and knowing they’ve got the ability to change the world, starting right now.

What was the inspiration behind the creation of Ethicool Books?

The inspiration behind the brand was two-fold.

Firstly, like many parents in our generation, we’re concerned about our children’s future – whether they’ll be a sustainable and habitable planet left for them, firstly, and secondly, whether everyone will have equal access to it. We’ve known about climate change for decades, we’ve known about environmental degradation for much longer than that. Human rights abuses and inequality have been with us for centuries. But for just as long, we’ve mostly had the solutions – we just need enough people to want them. So that’s why we want to inspire children, because if we create enough little superheroes now, we’ll be able to achieve great things in the future.

Secondly, personally, my mum passed away suddenly and unexpectedly last year, which has been devastating and I wanted to do something meaningful to honour her. As a much-loved school teacher and an avid reader, my mum always told me that if you want something achieved, tell it to children via a great story. I’m hoping to do just that with Ethicool – inspire kids with heart-warming stories they’ll remember.

What are some of your book titles, and how do you hope children will engage, and be inspired by, the topics you present?

The idea behind all of our books is that kids can make a change, and that that change can start right now.

Our best-selling title, ‘Mother Nature’, explores the role of Mother Nature and her sadness as the oceans are littered, trees are felled and animals are hunted. But then ‘you’ decide to save the planet … and Mother Nature knows! With this one, we’re hoping to help children understand what damage humans have done to the planet, but that that damage isn’t inevitable and they can do something about it.

Another one of our titles, ‘Tom’s Tears’, explores the idea that boys are often told they can’t cry. In this heart-warming story, the main character, Tom, loses his tears but then goes on a journey to find them, and understand why it’s ok to shed them in the first place. In this title, we’re hoping to start a conversation in loungerooms the world over about what it is to be a man, and why it’s ok to show your vulnerable side.

What kinds of activities, discussions or resources would you recommend to parents and educators of young children in conjunction with the reading of your titles?

Our books are all about taking action, so we’ve deliberately created an ‘Action Page’ at the end of each book where children/parents can write what actions they’d like to take on the issues we’re writing about.

In terms of where to get ideas, our blog https://ethicoolbooks.com/blogs/journal is a great start. Outside of that, I’d definitely recommend:

• For climate change: The Climate Council – https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/what-is-climate-change-what-can-we-do/
• For ocean care: Ocean society – https://www.oceanicsociety.org/blog/1720/7-ways-to-reduce-ocean-plastic-pollution-today
• Gender equality: UN Women – https://www.unwomen.org/en
• Poverty: UN Sustainable Development – https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/topics/povertyeradication

As a publisher of children’s books, are you open to submissions from authors, and if so, what criteria do you apply to those interested in publication with Ethicool Books?

Are you also open to submissions from illustrators?

Yes and yes! We recently commissioned our first author title (outside of those written by the founders), and we’re really excited to release it. It should be in print within a few months.

In terms of what we’re looking for, with our brand, our values are everything. If your book is about teaching children the big issues and inspiring them to make a change, then we’ll definitely consider it!

So far, we’ve had just the one incredible illustrator (Alvin Adhi Mulyono) working with us, and we do really love his work. But as our brand grows and our look evolves, we definitely look forward to working with other illustrators as well.

Please let us know where we can find you and your titles. We’d love to follow your journey!

And we can’t wait to connect with our little superheroes and their parents! We can be found at:

• Web: ethicoolbooks.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ethicoolbooks/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ethicoolbooks/
• Directory: http://www.justkidslit.com/directory/12724/ethicool-books/

 Thanks so much, Teigan, for answering our questions! 😊

Teigan Margetts is a journalist, nature lover, traveller, ballerina, yogi, wife, and mum to two of the world’s most adorable little boys. Teigan is passionate about equality and sustainability, but she’s also scared. She wants her children to live in a world where everyone has an equal chance to succeed. She wants them to live in a world that isn’t dying. Teigan, with co-founder, Stuart French, established the Ethicool brand with the motto in mind: ‘We have the power to give our children the invaluable gift of understanding the world’s issues. So they can grow up and create change.’ 

#ethicoolkids