
JOHN CAYDEN BOOKS
Early Learning Environmental Ecology Books for Children
Illustrated Ecology Books for Young Readers by author John Cayden
WELCOME!
Hello and welcome to my website!
My name is John Cayden and I'm an author, illustrator, and environmental education specialist who crafts stories that spark curiosity and a love for nature in young readers. After a long successful career as a museum exhibition developer, designer and curator, I transitioned into writing children’s books, driven by my passion for educating the next generation about the diverse life on Earth.
Drawing from my knowledge as a licensed environmental educator, I write and illustrate beautiful and humorous full color books with coloring pages and extras that focus on the unique ecosystems and creatures that inhabit our amazing planet. From the prairies to the deep ocean, my stories explore the wonders of nature, with a particular emphasis on ecological education. My work is a celebration of life, from groundhogs and chipmunks to corals and sea creatures, all designed to foster a deeper connection to the environment in the precocious youth destined to become the next stewards and protectors of our beautiful and unique planet.
My early books, Pecas & Paloma and Wilson in a Wet Wet Land have been well received and my latest projects, Cora’s Corals and Dugan's Daring Deep Dive, bring readers on an undersea adventures exploring the beauty and importance of coral and the amazing creatures discovered living at the unbelievable deep levels of our vast oceans.
With new works coming soon, and a list of ecological niches I want to publish before I'm dust, I'm dedicated to continuing my mission of educating the future protectors of Earth, by inspiring through storytelling - the facts about the amazing diversity of life left on this unique planet.
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With a new children's picture book coming soon on the history of Earth's forest, based on the John Perlin Book A FOREST JOURNEY, I am dedicated to continuing my mission of educating and inspiring through storytelling. When I'm not writing or illustrating, I am assisting low-income families in my county with housing, using my limited free time to write and illustrate and to look for opportunities to connect with readers to further my mission of promoting environmental awareness through literature.
Some day maybe a publisher will pay attention.
Please sign up for my mailing list if you want to be notified when I publish a new book or if you want a digital copy of my Christmas Cards to print out.
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Thank you for your support and please support writers and illustrators like me
in the ANTI AI Campaign!
Happy reading!
Happy Earth!
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- John Cayden​
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cora's corals
An undersea tour of corals
with Cora the little shrimp
My newest children's book beautifully highlights over twenty types of coral found in coral reefs around the world. The book aims to educate early readers about the diversity, structure and uniqueness of coral species and their unique ecological niche, while sparking imagination and curiosity about the vast and amazing diversity of ocean life and the underwater nurseries we call reefs. Scientists who study corals are working hard to understand and protect these important life forms as the ocean waters become warmer. This book puts differing coral species together with a fictitious little pink shrimp by the name of Cora. With coloring pages!

PUFF
My First Winter on the Prairie
NOW AVAILABLE IN HARDBACK!
This is the story of Puff, a small groundhog who lives in the grasslands of North America. Puff recounts his first twenty days of winter by watching the other animals around him prepare for the coming of a long, cold season after experiencing the joy of a beautiful, hot summer and a cool colorful fall. Clues to their preparations are not only in what he sees them doing, but what he sees them eating and the small changes to their bodies he is witnessing as the fall of the first flakes of snow touch his nose.
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This children's picture book is an illustrated story about Wilton, a small chipmunk who lives on the edge of a large wet, wetland near a small city. Some big winds came with a storm and knocked over his home, which was nestled in the hollow of a tree. To his surprise and delight, the other creatures who call the wetland home and call Wilton a friend, bring him all kinds of found and collected materials they offer up to help Wilton make a new home at the edge of the cool fresh water.
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Now available in hardback and paperback.
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Wilton
Home in a
Wet Wet Land
A ROCKET TALE
This favorite children's picture book is an illustrated story
about Rocket, a small Kangaroo Mouse who made his home
on a busy path in the beauty of the high desert. Other animals come and go, mostly in the evening and during the night-time when the air cools in the moonlight. Rocket learns a little about each of the animals by watching and listening to them as they move along in their evening search for water, friends and food. Now available in hardback and paperback.
Look for me on TIKTOK at
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and my fun line of apparel, T-shirts and home accessories at
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Thank you for your interest, your comments, your support and your help.
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Best regards - I wish you all health and happiness and fun reading!

CONTACT JOHN
Use the form below to add yourself to my mailing list to be notified of new releases or sales. Your info will never be shared with anyone.
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Go to the INSIDE MY WORLD for details
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