Chicago Author Spotlight: Alexandra Gnoske

By Betsy Mikel in Arts & Entertainment on May 20, 2010 8:20PM

Alexandra Gnoske has long been passionate about nature, wildlife, and preserving the planet. She originally did not intend to spread the message she believes in so strongly with a children’s book. She wrote the first version of Loui Saves the Earth 19 years ago just to entertain her two-year-old nephew, and she had no plans to publish it. Instead, Gnoske sought other ways to participate in Chicago’s green community.

In 2008, she helped found Recycle Me, an organic cotton clothing company with an in-depth mission to provide clothing consumers could feel good about buying. She’s also a member of the Chicago Green Fest host committee. As Gnoske worked harder to promote sustainable and socially responsible living through her business and everyday life, she realized the story she wrote for fun had a message parents might want to share with their children. So she pulled out her ancient copy of Loui Saves the Earth and started working on revising and re-illustrating it. She’s now self-published the book, which is a story about a little boy, his dog, and their animal friends. Loui realizes his friends are getting hurt from garbage, so he sets out to save them.

Alexandra Gnoske will at the Chicago Green Fest this weekend. It’s at Navy Pier from on Saturday May 22 from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. and on Sunday May 23 from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. You can find her and Loui Saves the Earth at booth 1230 in the Sweet Spot Cafe area.

Chicagoist: How can a book be a useful tool to teach kids how they can make a difference in what happens in the world they are growing up in?

Alexandra Gnoske: Children like to hear the same story over and over again. This is a great opportunity for children and their parents to talk about what is going on in the story and the world around them… Children can learn that they have the power to make a difference by their actions and their choices. They are the future, and hopefully, they will find solutions to the problems we face.

C: Many people write children’s books simply to write children’s books. Do you have any advice for those who are interested in writing a book for children that also has an important message?

AG: Simple, simple, simple and fun. I tend to be very serious, and I can get very detailed. Many times my children’s eyes glaze over and I lose them! But, to get a message across to children, the simpler the better. When working on any project, I repeatedly say, “what’s the main idea?” and “how do I/we want to get that across?”

C: What was your writing and illustrating process like? How did you get from point A (I want to write and illustrate a book) to point B (this book is now published!)?

AG: There wasn’t a lot of thinking. I was just having fun making a story book for my nephew, and really only thinking about what I thought he would like…The illustration was also very free-style. The first time I didn’t even draw it out first before I colored it in with pencils (I wasn’t thinking about publishing it). I just drew it the way we always drew at home, when I was little, and then with my nephew. Overall it was just really about having fun, of course, with my eternal message of wildlife conservation. When I decided I wanted to publish, one main reason was the opportunity to share this message with today’s children. I looked into self-publishing houses because I didn’t want to wait to share my story.

C: You’ve said your childhood visits to Lincoln Park Zoo influenced passion for nature and wildlife. What other parts of Chicago have influenced your work for a greener Earth, particularly this book?

AG: I find wildlife wherever I go. In the middle of downtown I’ll see a Peregrine Falcon, but that’s what I’m interested in, and that’s what I’m always looking for. Growing up in Chicago I also spent a lot of time at the beach and wandering along the Chicago River. I had a “pet” squirrel, “Furry” that would be waiting outside my window for peanuts when I would get home from school. I also started volunteering at the Field Museum in the Bird Division when I was sixteen. My brother works there so I had an in. That’s why the Field Museum is in my book. My nephew had already taken several trips there, and called it “Uncle Thomas’ Museum.” Kids don’t need Lions and Tigers to love nature. I think it’s just a natural thing for kids. I was lucky enough to grow up in a family that encouraged our interests.