The Picture Book Buzz - Interview w/ Debra Wolf

Debra Wolf writes books for kids that inspire a sense of wonder about nature. Debra is a land conservation attorney (under her married name Debra Wolf Goldstein), a songwriter, a tree hugger, and currently runs the environmental nonprofit One Little Earth.

Debra also is an editor at The Little Press for a new line of nature-themed books and is a judge for the annual Green Earth Book Awards. She co-founded the Philadelphia Environmental Film Festival and has written numerous academic and popular publications on environmental topics.

Debra lives in the Philadelphia area with her husband and feisty cockapoo and has two grown children.

Her debut picture book, A Family for Zoya: The True Story of an Endangered Cub, released July 2025.

Welcome Debra,

Tell us a little about yourselves. (Where/when do you write? How long have you been writing? What is your favorite book to write?)

I’ve been writing since I was little and in high school won a few awards for poetry. As an environmental attorney, I’ve written many legal publications throughout my career. I’ve also written travel articles for local newspapers, essays for various journals, and had a stint as a columnist for a few different magazines. One of my hobbies is songwriting—I love writing lyrics (but unfortunately am not a very good guitar player!). A Family for Zoya was my first foray into writing for children.

It's wonderful to "meet" you Debra. What is one of the most fun or unusual places where you’ve written a manuscript?

Ideas often come to me when I’m driving or hiking because my superego seems to be on hold then. My pockets and drawers are littered with scraps of paper with book titles and song hooks! I always write first drafts longhand, in pencil.

That sounds like fun hiking trips! What was your inspiration or spark of interest for A Family for Zoya: The True Story of an Endangered Cub?

I was visiting the Philadelphia Zoo and heard the tale of little Zoya, a rare Amur tiger cub who was the only survivor of her litter and who’d been rejected by her mother. The zookeepers were lucky enough to find Zoya a new family, in a zoo across the country, and she became the first tiger cub ever to be “adopted” by another kind of tiger. I wanted to share Zoya’s inspiring and interesting true story with children. Plus, the photos of Zoya and her new family were simply adorable!

Such a great story! I love that the zoos were willing, and able, to work together to find a foster situation for Zoya. What is the hardest or most challenging thing about writing A Family for Zoya? And what was the most fun?

The story as originally submitted was written from the POV of one of the zookeepers. The hardest thing for me was to re-write the story from the tiger cub’s point of view, which the publisher asked me to do before making an offer. I wanted the book to be nonfiction, so I wasn’t sure how I could write the story from Zoya’s POV without treading into “informational fiction” territory. But I eventually figured it out!

I’ve actually enjoyed almost everything about this process. I’m one of those weird people who don’t mind revising (must be the former copy editor in me), so I liked seeing the story change through multiple drafts (about 7 or 10 different substantive drafts). I enjoyed learning about the book publishing industry and trying to “crack the code” as it relates to submissions. Seeing the wonderful illustrations for the first time was exciting. And of course, the great publicity the book has garnered so far has been really gratifying.

I think you did a great job with the point of view, showing us Zoya's experience and what was happening around her and helping the reader connect with her. Was there anything in your research that you wished you could have included in the book or back matter?

The publisher was very generous in the space it allotted to back matter, where we included information about the Tiger Conservation Campaign and Amur tigers in general. We also added “Did You Know?” sidebars throughout the body of the story with supplemental information to appeal to older readers. I originally envisioned the book as being illustrated with photographs, but Platypus found two excellent illustrators who did a great job; we then incorporated a few of the photographs I had into the back matter and the back cover.  

The illustrations are amazing! When you first saw Marina Durante & Annalisa Durante’s illustrations did anything surprise, amaze, or delight you? Which is your favorite spread?

Text © Debra Wolf, 2025. Image © Marina Durante & Annalisa Durante, 2025.

I’m in awe of how Marina and Annalisa were able to make Zoya and her new tiger family look both incredibly realistic, as well as heart-warming!  And the palpable love between Mother Lola and her new cub just melts my heart. As to my favorite, I’d say I’m split between the illustration of newborn Zoya wrapped in her fuzzy blue blanket and the one of Zoya and her three brothers in a little furry pile. These scenes are so cute that the publisher made stickers of them to send out with book orders, and I have a pile to give out as swag at book signings.

Personally, all of the illustrations of baby Zoya are adorable. Is there anything you want your readers to know or learn about A Family for Zoya?

Support your local zoo! I think that zoo staff and scientists are dedicated and underappreciated.

I whole-heartedly agree. They do amazing work and are saving species and working to preserve their environments as well. Are there any new projects you are working on now that you can share a tidbit with us?

I’m thrilled to have a new book coming out with Science Naturally in the fall 2026--nature-themed, of course! My next goal is to try to secure representation so that I’ll have a broader pool for submissions.

Good luck with your upcoming book and your agent search! Last question, what is your favorite National Park or Forest, regional park, or city park (anywhere in the world)? Or the one you’re longing to visit. Why?

photo courtesy of Philadelphia Parks and Recreation::

::The Cultural Landscape Foundation

My favorite city park is the Wissahickon Valley Park, which is part of Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park.  It’s the largest city park in the world and a vital piece of nature in a congested urban area. I’d also love to return to the magical Muir Woods in northern California.

Thank you, Debra, for sharing with us a bit about yourself and your new book.

To find out more about Debra Wolf, or to contact her:

Website: https://www.debrakimwolf.com/