A&D ANNUAL 2021

Ya Hsin

‘Koala Butters’ is an educational storybook where children take part in koala conservation by building empathy. The book is based on interactive visual illustrations and activities engaged with reality. The iconic Australian koala is a vulnerable species requiring human protection. In 2016, The NSW Government estimated the population had declined 26% in the prior 15 years.  This dramatic decline mostly relates to loss of habitat, and has predicted the koala to become extinct in the future. According to Joline Ruckert, children’s sense of moral concern for the natural environment such as endangered species is developed by the age of 10 years old. Therefore, Ya Hsin’s educational interactive book has been designed as the first step for children to learn about and interact with the issues surrounding endangered species such as the koala.