AN author who hopes to inspire children to care about the environment has released his debut book at an independent bookshop in his hometown.

Ryan Mizzen, 30, from Maldon, self-published children’s picture book Hedgey-A and the Honey Bees to raise awareness about the need to protect bees.

The book is written in a fun rhyming style for five to seven-year-olds, and explores how bees are being affected by pesticides.

The book marks the first in Ryan’s Time to Care series, which will explore how humans are harming the natural world.

With degrees in climate change and creative writing, Ryan believes the environmental movement has gained momentum because of the efforts of youth climate strikers, such as Greta Thunberg.

The cover of the book

The cover of the book

He also claims the pandemic has laid down a precedent for dealing with urgent global crises.

He said: “We face a plethora of interrelated environmental issues, from the climate crisis to biodiversity loss and habitat destruction.

“Yet we have it in our power to change course and create a better world, and the next generation will be key in making this happen.

“But political will for change is lacking and it’s my hope that by educating younger readers, who will inherit the remnants of the natural world we’re leaving behind, they’ll be better placed to fight for a future they deserve.

“The international response to Covid has shown what can happen when we treat a crisis like a crisis.

“If we acted with the same urgency and determination on environmental issues, we could create a cleaner and greener world that we’d be proud for our children to inherit.”

Signed copies of the book are available at Maldon Books, priced £6.99.