Dive into an enchanting adventure where fact meets imagination, guided by the delightfully quirky Fruzz, a microscopic space venturer with a big mission.
Written with insight and humour by Susan Swain, with stunning illustrations by Julie Carlisle, the series of books invites readers to rediscover the wonder and magic of our living planet.
On the surface, Fruzz and the Fabled Planet is a series of engaging books, themed around the enthralling topic of biomimicry. Fruzz takes the reader on a rollicking ride exploring the magic and mystery of the Universe's legendary living planet through the eyes of a quirky microscopic space venturer.
But dig a little deeper and you’ll find that Fruzz is gorgeously layered. When unravelled, a multi-dimensional adventure of discovery is revealed - packed with nuance, meaning, invitations to learn and fall in love with Life in all its fullness. From the art of storytelling, to the wonder beyond what we can see; from unwrapping the hidden magic of rhyme, to having hearts and minds opened to richer ways of thinking, feeling, connecting, and being.
Interweaving fact and imagination, and brought vividly to life through the stunning illustrations of Julie Carlisle, Fruzz reawakens wonder and awe for our planetary home. The adventures rekindle understanding and a deep valuing of the living world, inspiring new ways of living wisely and well, and gently guiding us back into relationship with Nature - as part of Nature.
Fruzz is a heart-catcher and curiosity-stirrer for all ages – children and adults alike. These educational and entertaining books are designed to be read and explored together, with families journeying side by side…children, parents and grandparents discovering the secrets, deciphering underlying messages and sharing the joy...because we’re never too young - or too old - to laugh, love, and learn.
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A taster for you from me
Fruzz and the Fabled Planet ~ Entry 1.1
Meet The Team
Susan (Sue) Swain, born and raised in Gqeberha, South Africa, has always had an abiding love for nature and our remarkable planetary home. Combining this with her passion for environmental education and the practice of biomimicry… and the understanding that, as mammals, we learn best through play, Sue’s career in conservation has been centred around the art of creative storytelling to help bring about a deep re-connection with nature and a sense of belonging. In her debut as an author, Sue has crafted a series of engaging books and created a lovable, quirky and endlessly curious character to reawaken a sense of wonder, awe and appreciation for our living world. Fruzz is the product of Sue’s imagination, inspired not just a little, by what and who is to be found in this fantastic world of ours. How much of Fruzz’s character is Sue…well, we’ll never know!
Born and raised in Johannesburg, Julie developed a passion for nature's colours and shapes from a young age and has enjoyed a 40-year career in environmental and community programmes across Southern Africa.
During a particularly difficult time, Julie felt a strong need to express her connection to nature through art. Julie and Sue met in the Garden Route in 2008, sparking a lasting friendship. When approached by Sue to come on board as illustrator, Julie leapt in boots and all! Through conversations, iterations and bountiful imagination, the visual delight and feast that is Fruzz and the Fabled planet, came into being. It’s been a magical journey for Julie…delving back into the mindset of her childhood to produce the awe of creation and the alchemy of life in colour.
The Narrator – Fruzz
Allow me, if it pleases you, myself to introduce
Space venturer… explorer, you’ve perhaps already deduced
My name is “Frummazzurgli”, but my friends call me “Fruzz”
With joie de vivre, you will find, I am always abuzz
I’m teeny, I’m tiny, to the naked eye, just a speck
Look at me magnified, you’ll like say “Gooblygeck”
I have tube feet galore that do plenty of things
Some are sensors, some receivers, a few even serve as springs
With 20 years of experience in publishing design, more than 450 books under his belt and with a focus on assisting self-publishing authors, Wade Hunkin’s credentials speak for themselves. Wade prides himself in his attention to detail, his commitment to excellence and in delivering tailored and timely solutions. In addition to formatting and layout expertise, Fruzz needed something special in terms of design. And here, Wade’s understanding of the brief, his ‘getting’ of the character of Fruzz, his willingness to work closely with the author together with his creative wizardry in combining Julie’s stunning illustrations with fun graphic design features are what have completed the books visually and helped to give Fruzz and the Fabled Planet ‘wings’.
Testimonials
“Swain delightfully shares Earth’s magnificent secrets to young readers (and adults alike) inviting curiosity and exploration of this planet we call Home.
May all who venture here fall equally in love.”
“What a bedazzling delight! With playful poetic prose and charming illustrations, these quirky books awaken wonder and appreciation for this precious planet. The text teases out curiosity and transmit facts that serve as a vital reminder of our unfathomable fortune in finding this earth that’s ‘just right’. As a learning resource, these wise works bring biomimicry into being – igniting our imagination while reinforcing the relevance of our interdependence with all life.”
‘’As a reader you are taken on an enthralling, interactive journey of scientific fact and a wizardry of words.
Truly engaging for any reader to understand the necessity of caring for Mother Earth.’’
“I hope these delightful books will reach many children, parents and grandparents! May our hearts bounce along with these creative stories’ beings and teach us that being part of cosmos and planet Earth is more than a story, it is a beautiful reality”
Truly engaging for any reader to understand the necessity of caring for Mother Earth.’’
“Fruzz and the Fabled Planet is a delightful and inspiring way to give children a sense of agency towards making a difference in the world. The words of wonder woven together with gorgeous illustrations will leave all who turn its pages with a lasting sense of optimism and hope, and wanting to know more.
The launch of this series of books really does hold within it the power to have incredible impact and influence on a generation who will lead our futures”.
“We are utterly delighted with the Fruzz series! Our children are completely enchanted by the thrilling adventures of this lovable character, who has now become a household name! My 10-year-old daughter was particularly captivated by the engaging activities and puzzles that added an extra layer of fun to the story. Both kids are eagerly awaiting the next installment, and we can't wait to see what exciting journeys Fruzz will take them on next!”
“The books were funny, quirky, with lots of charm and very informative. I really liked them and can’t wait for the next books"
