Licorice's Big Adventures: The Real Wildlife Behind the Stories
By Lidia LoPinto | Clover Leaf Media
How a Hurricane, an Island, and a Little Black Cockapoo Inspired My Children's Books
In 2012, I moved to Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey. That same year, Hurricane Sandy devastated our area, and I lost my home.
But I didn't give up on the town.
I lived on Osborn Island, a place surrounded by extraordinary natural beauty: an estuary, a bird sanctuary, a beach along the bay, preserved forests, and expansive wetlands.
It was a magical place, and much of that magic was real.
Behind my home was a small patch of preserved forest, a refuge for wildlife that had survived the pressures of development. I began watching the animals that lived there.
My first memorable encounter was with an animal I identified as a badger. It had dug a tunnel beneath the concrete border of our swimming pool. One day, it lunged toward me, then apparently became frightened itself and retreated!
There were deer families with their fawns, a mysterious animal that looked like a lost beaver eating my morning glories, Mangi the fox, and a red cat.
And the birds! Eagles, ducks, mallards, gulls, and long-legged wading birds filled the skies and wetlands. Drives toward Seven Bridges opened up an entirely different world.
We weren't simply living near nature. We were its stewards.
Why I Began Writing About Licorice
As I observed the wildlife, I began thinking about children. How many children know that these wonderful creatures live around us? How many have experienced the excitement of spotting a fox, watching a deer family, or seeing birds gathering over a marsh?
My black cockapoo, Licorice, became a wonderful character through whom children could explore that world.
Some of her adventures are imaginative, but the environments that inspired them are real.
I wanted children to experience the magic of our forests, marshes, lagoons, and beaches. Not simply to learn the names of animals, but to care about them.
Children are the next stewards of nature. They need to discover its beauty before they can understand why it must be preserved.
Explore Licorice's Four Illustrated Adventures
Each individual book is an illustrated 8.5 × 8.5-inch adventure, inviting children to explore a different part of Licorice's world.
The Beach: Dawn Patrol at Graveling Point
Join Licorice at Graveling Point Beach in Little Egg Harbor, where the morning shoreline becomes a place of discovery. This adventure introduces young readers to the sights and wonders of the coastal environment through the eyes of an inquisitive black cockapoo.
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The Marsh: Marshland Mysteries with Serena and Licorice
Serena and Licorice explore the marshlands of Little Egg Harbor, discovering a landscape full of life and surprises. Their adventure encourages curiosity about wetlands and the wildlife that depends on these important natural habitats.
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The Lagoon: Licorice's Lagoon Tales
Follow Licorice into a world of waterfront wonder. Inspired by the coastal waterways and natural beauty of southern New Jersey, this illustrated adventure invites children to notice the life and beauty surrounding our lagoons.
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The Forest: Licorice's Forest Friends
Step into the forest with Licorice through a collection of four illustrated bedtime stories. Woodland characters and imaginative adventures bring the natural world close to young readers, making the forest a place of wonder.
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Licorice's Big Adventures: Three-Adventures Collection
This larger illustrated edition brings together three Licorice adventures in one volume. A giftable way to introduce children to her world of curiosity, friendship, and coastal discovery.
VIEW BOOK & BUYThe Lesson I Hope Children Will Carry Forward
When children read these stories, I hope they enjoy Licorice and her adventures. I hope they laugh, look carefully at the illustrations, and become curious about the animals they encounter.
But I also hope something stays with them.
The marshes are real. The forests are real. The birds, foxes, deer, and countless other creatures are real. Their homes can disappear if we fail to protect them.
Nature has given us something extraordinary, and we have a responsibility to pass it on.
Perhaps one day a child who enjoyed Licorice's adventures will become someone who protects a forest, restores a wetland, or speaks up for an endangered animal.
That is why I wrote these books.
Because the next generation of nature's stewards is reading children's books today.
Lidia LoPinto
Clover Leaf Media