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Into the Thicket
Written by Gail Kuhnlein
Illustrated by John Megahan
Ages: 4-7 | 60 Pages
Publisher: BookBaby (2025) | ISBN: 979-8990747807
Publisher’s Book Summary: Inspired by a true story, Into the Thicket begins with the moment the author’s young son discovered an injured baby rabbit — an encounter that sparked a heartfelt journey of care and connection.
This tender picture book follows a boy and the rabbit he hopes to help, gently exploring themes of compassion, courage, love, and the bittersweet beauty of letting go. It invites young readers to develop empathy and a deeper appreciation for the natural world, showing how even the smallest acts of kindness can ripple through a great, big world.
Featuring stunning watercolor illustrations by acclaimed Ann Arbor artist John Megahan, Into the Thicket is a story families will return to again and again. A portion of all proceeds benefits wildlife rehabilitation and conservation.
Available for purchase on: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, BookBaby, Bookshop.org.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gail Kuhnlein has been writing stories since she was young. Her first self-published picture book, How Happy Is a Lark?, made her as happy as a, well you know. She’s just as excited about her new picture book, Into the Thicket.
Gail majored in journalism and public relations at Michigan State University. She worked in the field for over 30 years, most recently at the University of Michigan’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. People she met at UM were instrumental in publishing her picture books, a long-awaited dream come true.
After surviving multiple life-threatening complications following heart valve surgery in 2022, including several weeks in an induced coma, Gail considers every day as “bonus time.” She savors life with her husband, Tim, just outside Ann Arbor, Michigan. They adore their two adult sons, Davey and Trevor, and bunk with the sweetest kitties in the galaxy.
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ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
John Megahan’s lifelong passion for art and nature has shaped his remarkable career. Growing up, he spent countless hours outdoors exploring and sketching the natural world around him. In college, he combined his interests by studying biology and art, which led him to the field of scientific illustration — a perfect blend of his interests.
After college, he worked as a freelance illustrator, developing a large clientele that included governmental and advertising agencies, universities, publishers, and more. After freelancing, John became the senior scientific illustrator at the University of Michigan’s Museum of Zoology, where he continues to work today. Alongside his illustration work, he has enjoyed teaching art and biology, inspiring others with his knowledge and enthusiasm.
John’s other children’s picture book credits include W is for Waves, An Ocean Alphabet, Thumping on Trees, and The Red Fox and Johnny Valentine’s Blue-Speckled Hound. He looks forward to creating more wildlife and nature-inspired artwork and illustrating many more picture books.
For more information, visit johnmegahan.com.
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Life Is What It's Called - What inspired you to write this story?
Gail Kuhnlein - My inspiration for writing Into the Thicket came from our sons in our backyard. One fateful early summer day, over 20 years ago, they were playing football catch. The book begins exactly as it happened in real life, with a toss soaring over our younger son’s head. As he ran next door to retrieve the ball, he noticed “something” near it. From this point forward, I leaned into fictional storytelling to make the story more appealing to children: to add imagination, suspense, conflict, a crisis, and (spoiler alert) — a happy ending.
Life Is What It's Called - What do you hope readers will learn from this story?
Gail Kuhnlein - I hope readers take to heart the compassion for wildlife that’s modeled by our hero, Patrick. The story touches on overcoming fears with bravery, independence, falling in love, and the bittersweet reality that sometimes what’s best is learning to let go. I hope the deeply felt emotions help children who will inevitably deal with similar situations in their own lives. I hope children and adults alike will be more prepared if they find an injured or abandoned creature, knowing who to contact, and have handy resources about what to do until they can get to wildlife rehab. Notes in the back of the book cover these points. Perhaps more importantly, they’ll know when it’s best to let a nest of rabbits be. In case a family dog finds and disrupts a rabbit nest, I included ways to handle the situation expertly, with minimal effort.
On a grander scale, I hope that our book encourages a respect and love for nature and our environment, in the midst of our climate crisis. The new generation will be the ones to save the planet.
Life Is What It's Called - How does this book stand apart from others on the market?
Gail Kuhnlein - From what I’ve seen, I believe our book is fairly unique in its emphasis on wildlife rehabilitation, particularly regarding rabbits. It’s a hybrid of fiction and non-fiction. Pressed to choose a category, it’s fiction. While based on a true story, it’s highly fictionalized in its development.
I think our book could be especially great for children’s social-emotional development. Patrick’s character and how he influences even his older brother can be powerful messages. The book can also be integrated into an early elementary science curriculum. In these days of increased reliance on AI, I’m happy that the artist’s illustrations are hand drawn and painted. His painstaking work shines through every page, with incredibly detailed backgrounds and great care taken with each scene. John took my manuscript with its limited number of settings and created different perspectives and angles so that each page is surprising and delightful. He’s so naturally talented and I was fortunate to work with him. Having worked together for many years at the University of Michigan’s Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, we are a dynamic duo.
Life Is What It's Called - What was an unexpected challenge you faced when writing this book?
Gail Kuhnlein - That I was writing about a true story presented the unexpected challenge. There were elements that really happened that I happily included in earlier drafts. You’ve likely heard the expression “kill your darlings,” well, that’s what was needed. In other words, something I (as the writer) loved about the story was better off on the editing room floor because it didn’t really serve the narrative in a broader sense. This can be hard.
I had an expert editor who guided me through the tough task of fine-tuning. I’ll give one brief example. In order to give Patrick more independence, I pretty much wrote myself out of the story. In real life, and in early drafts, my son ran inside and fell into my arms to tell me what he found, then I joined him outside to see the small creature. Long story short, bye-bye Mama! There’s not a single illustration with me, or rather, “Mom” included, and that’s just fine. I do shout out from another room one time!
Life Is What It's Called - What is your favorite sentence from this story and why?
Gail Kuhnlein - I love this question and it really made me think. As you can imagine, I read through the book again with your question in mind. I have several, but the winner, short and sweet, is: “The sun kissed his pink ears.”
This is while Patrick’s emotions are torn, releasing the rabbit in his backyard. I like that such a short sentence is highly evocative. I think the personification of the sun’s kiss is special. I love seeing sun shining through a rabbit’s ears. This autumn, at dusk, several rabbits were grazing in our backyard. The sun, low in the sky, shone through a rabbit’s ears and they glowed with a pink hue. (I took a photo, of course.) These small moments in nature are so moving.
Life Is What It's Called - What other writing projects are you working on?
Gail Kuhnlein - My main project currently is marketing Into the Thicket. There is so much that can be done, especially with my background in communications/public relations. I’m happy I decided on this virtual awareness book tour.
I write a monthly blog post on my author website. As a newish self-published author, I write about my experiences, what I’ve learned (tips) and thoughts. I sometimes include fun tangents, like recommending not-too-scary shows for Halloween (I don’t like horror), or thoughts about my volunteer work at the University of Michigan NICU, which I have grown to love so much. Our youngest spent his first month in a NICU.
I have a couple of ideas for my next picture book. I have a couple of manuscripts drafted I may edit. I have one in particular in mind. Coincidentally, it’s also based on our youngest son, and fictionalized. Without saying too much, it focuses on his highly sensitive nature, particularly to how clothing felt, when he was young.
After a trip with a friend last summer to the Toledo Zoo, I was hit with a fun idea for a book that would be more akin to my first picture book, How Happy Is a Lark? When I Googled to see if anyone had written something like it, I came across at least one. But, I think similar ideas for books can be written in such different ways. I need to find that book to see how they did it, so that if I pursue the idea, I can be sure mine is quite different.
Life Is What It's Called - What do you want readers to know about you as an author?
Gail Kuhnlein - This is a fun and interesting question! Let’s see. I have such a love and respect for children that writing for them is my great honor. One of the best memories I have from the time our boys were babies through their childhoods, was when we cuddled together, every night, reading. Such coziness! To write books that children and their adults will read (and maybe even love) is one of my fondest wishes. In this spirit, I hope our book is discovered and experienced far and wide.
GIVEAWAY
Enter for the chance to win one of three signed hardcover copies of Into the Thicket, each accompanied by a set of custom stickers featuring illustrations from the book. One grand prize winner will receive a signed hardcover of Into the Thicket with an adorable rabbit companion stuffie and a set of custom stickers, plus a signed paperback of How Happy Is a Lark? along with a singing lark stuffie.
Into the Thicket: Book Giveaway
This post is sponsored by Gail Kuhnlein. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal views.