Author and educator Frank W. Baker talks about his latest book, Close Encounters with Great Blue Herons. We talk nonfiction, nature appreciation, educating young readers, photography, and more.
Illustrator and graphic designer Gabriel De La Torre documented the process of working on the book:
First of all, working on Close Encounters with the Great Blue Heron has been a passion project from the time Annette spoke to me about it. I’m a fan of nature-related content, and while I’ve worked on nature-related infographics in the past, the things I had the chance to design for GBH (GBH stands for the title of the book during the production workflow) were on another level.
Starting from the very concept of the book, to design an encyclopedic book and to design a photo book are two very different tasks, and for GBH we decided to combine them, which was a great idea!
I worked from the premise that we’re showcasing Frank’s pictures to the audience and at the same time we’re teaching with scientific facts that get reinforced with those same pictures.
Once we had the layout ready, we had to move on to ‘design’ said layout, so, what’s the best way to do that? Well, there’s no absolutes in design, but the choice we made was to keep it as simple as possible without leaning to hard on minimalism.
We wanted the design elements to aid in the storytelling. We were working to portray Frank’s pictures without taking the attention of said pictures.
Another thing we decided on was to include illustrations as a visual aid to the design. I did them while thinking of a way to add value to the book and help the audience visualize the different aspects of some of the more complex or on parts where we had a lot of information at the same time.
By the end of our design process, we were very happy with the final product we had. We had very few feedback rounds, but we were very careful to meet Frank’s expectations. This is the work of a lifetime after all, and we wanted to give him the book he deserved!
The book is being printed in China and here is an exclusive preview.
As you might imagine, much time and consideration was given to which photos would be chosen that would best help tell the story of the Great Blue Heron.
Invariably, some images and information had to be excluded. That’s OK. That’s why a blog like this gives this author an opportunity to share these EXTRAS. Enjoy.
A drone is seen floating over a group of Pine trees that make up the rookery for the Great Blue Herons. Can you spot the nest at the top of the tree?
A large number of Great Blue Herons have made this group of trees their potential home, with several already having started to build nests there.
Here, a Great Blue Heron has “lifted off” from a rock that sits on the river. Where do you think the bird might be going?
Keeping balance. This photo was taken just after Sunrise and this Great Blue Heron had landed in the branches and opened its wide wings in order to maintain its balance.
Fun Activities & Resources
WE’VE GONE TO PRINT!
That’s the big news.
Our soon-to-be-published children’s book “Close Encounters With The Great Blue Heron,” which has been in the works for more than a year, is finally coming to fruition.
Publication date: November 18- just in time for the holidays. We are tickled pink…or perhaps BLUE.
Orders now being accepted: https://www.luckyrabbitpublishing.com/products/close-encounters-with-the-great-blue-heron-presale-releases-november-18-2026
I connected just now with Gabriel, my digital designer (in Brazil) and my publisher Annette (in Mexico) while we reviewed each of the pages of the book methodically. We made several small changes and talked in length about how well the captions compliment the images.
This image (above) is from the beginning of the book where we make note that the Great Blue Heron can be found in each of the 50 states.
We are also appreciative of those who have already reviewed the book. It goes to print soon and will be widely available when it releases November 17, perfect timing for those considering purchases for the holidays. Stay tuned.
I AM SO EXCITED to continue working with my partner/collaborators on the children’s photo book about the Great Blue Heron. Recently we met to methodically review each page. Publisher Annette Flavel ensures the copy is appropriate for the intended audience. And illustrator/designer Gabriel De La Torre refines each page.
Publication date: November 2026
www.greatblueherons.com
Writing this book has involved collaboration. First there is the publisher.
Annette Flavel of Lucky Rabbit Publishing has vast experience in the education publishing world, and I really admire her expertise and recommendations.
Next, there is the digital designer. Gabriel De La Torre has taken my photography and enhanced it with many additions.
I am truly enjoying watching this book become a reality.
In the meantime, the book is available for pre-orders and I have been reaching out to nature shops and other organizations who I think would be interested in having it in their shops.
More to come soon.
A Zoom meeting with my publisher and graphic designer today really got me excited about how my photos will be incorporated alongside important facts and statistics. Our graphic designer showed off his ideas, covering about half of the book.
For more than 20 years, I’ve been following this bird, mostly in and around Columbia, South Carolina. What’s interesting is that Great Blue Herons can be found in all 50 states!
The book will be published November 3, 2026 – just in time for holiday purchases.
Stay tuned.
We have a cover!
The book we have been working on is scheduled to be published in November, and recently we’ve been talking about “what should the cover look like”? With so many photos to choose from, it can be a challenge.
I was not expecting to have a cover image this soon, but representatives from the SC Association of School Librarians requested one, because I am scheduled to be on a panel with other children’s authors during SCASL’s annual conference this coming March in Columbia SC.
So a request was made and our graphic designer Gabriel De La Torre came through. So here it is! The cover features a close-up of a Great Blue Heron with a small Shad in its beak. The small illustrated Heron in the upper right-hand corner announces: “Includes 40+ full color wildlife photographs.”
To say we are excited would be an understatement.