The newest member of the royal family will soon be receiving a book inspired by the Canadian Rockies.
The Royal edition of Rocky Mountain Rangers: Guardians of the Wild will be couriered to baby Archie this month. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, welcomed their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor last May.
“The Duchess of Sussex calls Canada her second home and we were making this book at the same time she was sort of making Archie, so I always had that idea to send him a copy given her Canadian connection,” said Ayesha Clough with Red Barn Books, the books publisher.
Clough reached out to Banff-based band, The Wardens, who are current and former park rangers. The song is based on the group's song ‘Government Cowboy.”
She says the book transports readers to the mountains.
"Kids get to go and be a park ranger for a day, they ride along with the wardens, they rescue some climbers using a helicopter and come across some grizzlies."
Airdrie Illustrator Lia Golemba created the artwork by carving prints into lino blocks, then digitally remastered them. She said she re-created some of the images the Wardens had passed on to her.
"I thought it was cool just to have it in the hands of my own children," she said. "It’s next level to see so many people enjoying it and definitely exciting to see it fly across the pond."
Airdrie calligrapher Berylanne Hodgins adorned the book with hand-painted maple leaves and gold accents and a special note to Archie.
"The message was that we are Canadian and we are proud, we would love to have you visit Canada,” she said. “We hope he comes and visits whenever he’s a little older and gets to appreciate the beauty of Canada."
She added it's exciting this book is going to the Royal Family, knowing Meghan Markle is also a calligrapher.
"This is a one-of-a-kind piece, this will never be done again for anybody else."
The names of 23 people are also on the royal edition of the book, who donated books as part of a royal baby book drive.
230 copies of the book will be donated to children’s hospitals across the country.
“Archie probably gets gifts from all over the world and I wanted to take that excitement about Archie’s birth and translate that into doing good for kids right here at home in Canada," said Clough.
The book can be purchased online.
