We recently connected with Caroline Kerfoot and have shared our conversation below.

Caroline, appreciate you joining us today. One of our favorite things to hear about is stories around the nicest thing someone has done for someone else – what’s the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?

I love this question as it totally pertains to the deeper meaning behind the Adventures of Fox children’s book series! There have been so many instances of people -both loved ones as well as strangers- that have been kind to me over the years and I am always so moved and forever grateful for them.

My earliest memory of such an act was when I was in the second grade. I was visiting a new school and entered a classroom where I didn’t know any of the other students (which was super scary, especially given how shy I used to be!). I sat down at the closest available desk and to my amazement, three girls around me were so nice and asked if I would eat lunch with them after the morning lesson. A little boy walked by our desks and told them that they shouldn’t let me eat with them because, well, who was I? I felt my face flush with embarrassment when all of a sudden, my new friends stood up for me and told him to stop being mean! I couldn’t believe that these girls who hadn’t known me for more than three hours were willing to do that – being both kind and brave on my behalf.

I’ve never forgotten that day and how their actions have made me a better and more conscientious person toward others who may be new, shy, or different. The point of kindness and standing up for one’s friend is in the first story in the Adventures of Fox series, Hi, I’m Fox! as I thought it could be a nice example for young readers.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am a children’s picture book author and illustrator of a growing series called, Adventures of Fox. Three years ago, a lifelong love of animals, art, and storytelling through song collided in the best way. I was out walking with my dog Foxy and she met a turtle who hid in his shell. This fateful encounter sparked my imagination and eventually turned into the first book, Hi, I’m Fox!.

In the beginning, I had no idea what I was getting myself into by writing and illustrating a book. I have been writing songs and playing guitar since I was 11 years old, so it felt only natural when they poured out of me in rhyme. Developing the characters and illustration style took me about a year and my first book was published in the summer of 2022. It’s been such an amazing journey – the community surrounding early literacy has been so incredibly kind and supportive.

I have over 20 years of experience in the creative industries, starting as a graphic design intern and eventually working my way up to a creative management/director position. I have been extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to study and work in New York City, the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, and Portugal. I believe that all of these unique experiences and lessons learned through navigating multiple cultures, languages, and people have woven themselves subtly into my stories whether by scenario or by theme.

I think my proudest moments as a children’s book writer and illustrator are while visiting schools and seeing how engaged the children are during story time or while drawing. Books can be such an important piece of one’s childhood, so to be a part of that is truly an honor.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal is to create a series of tales that engage and enrich children for many years to come! The themes of the stories are age-old, such as the importance of friendship, making safe decisions, being kind, and accepting one another. While visiting schools, libraries, book shops, and other in-person events, I hope to spark a love of the written word and creativity through story times and fun, interactive projects.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Absolutely! Funny enough, rather than reading books or essays that are specifically about management and entrepreneurial thinking, I have found the most inspiration through biographies of author-illustrators that I admire. Before writing and illustrating my first book, I didn’t realize that most authors are not illustrators, and vice versa – the author who is also an illustrator is more of a rare breed. This allowed me to focus on learning as much as possible about those who do both, how they started out, what motivated them to do this work, their business strategies, etc.

For instance, one of my all-time heroes, Beatrix Potter -besides being an incredible artist- was so imaginative and ahead of her time when it came to children’s publishing and merchandising. Dr. Seuss’s creative journey is fascinating and I love to tune into anything involving Mo Willems. Whether the author-illustrator was active over 100 years ago or a contemporary, there is always so much to learn from the greats!

Currently, I am reading “Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life” by Arnold Schwarzenegger – it’s a super motivating book and packed full of wisdom that I highly recommend.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.adventuresoffox.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adventuresoffoxbooks/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adventuresoffoxbooks/

Image Credits
The image with the little boy reading and pointing to the book is Koa, from @koasdiaries, 2023.