From Zookeeper to Author: How Do You Save A Baby Giraffe?
“But animals laid their claim, and her author dreams went dormant.” - LynnLee Schmidt
From Zookeeper to Author: How Do You Save A Baby Giraffe?
LynnLee Schmidt didn’t start her career as an author. She started as a zookeeper. But this year when Milani, the premature baby giraffe, was born at Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Goddard, Kansas, LynnLee had a front row seat and the opportunity to fulfill a dream that had been lurking in the background. How Do You Save a Baby Giraffe? The Wonderful True Story of Milani, a children's picture book published by Swing High Books, and you can pre-order it now.
But how does a zookeeper become an author?
Most zookeepers ARE already storytellers. They are deeply passionate about the animals in their care, and they want to inspire their guests to take action to care for them. Stories like Milani’s happen in zoos every day. If you’re a family member or a friend of a zookeeper, you already know. But due to pressure from animal rights organizations, some of these heroic stories never go public.
Zoos are often scared to share these stories because they can’t predict the future, and they don’t want the negative press of an animal that doesn’t make it. Zoos especially have low trust in their teams' ability to talk about the animals and the hard cases. So while more zoos are becoming more transparent, it’s rare to find a place that embraces it as openly as Tanganyika.
That’s where How Do You Save A Baby Giraffe? The Wonderful True Story of Milani began. LynnLee and Zoo Director Matt were in awe of the work the team was doing and they knew the public needed to hear the story. As the Chief of Marketing at Tanganyika LynnLee rallied her team to start sharing the milestones one day at a time when Milani was only three days old.
Millions of hearts tuned in to Tanganyika’s socials every day to hear updates. The transparency and vulnerability shown by Tanganyika’s team were getting attention. That’s when Clay, an author and children’s book publisher, reached out and said, “I think Milani’s story should be a children’s book.”
Let’s dive deeper into Milani’s Story and how it made it to the page.
How Do You Save A Baby Giraffe?
LynnLee has always been an avid reader. In high school, she plowed through many of the available books and started writing her own accelerated reader tests for novels like Atlas Shrugged, Ishmael, and Sophie’s World. Philosophical deep dives that probably went far above her head.
In college, she had resisted mainstream long enough, and by the time the fourth Harry Potter book hit shelves, she had pre-ordered it from a small children’s bookstore in Long Beach, CA. She fell in love with the store.
Bright colors, beautiful covers, engaging stories for kids.
That might have been when she first dreamed of owning her own children’s bookstore, and her minor in creative writing had her considering a future as an author. But animals laid their claim, and her author dreams went dormant.
She continued to nurture the love of reading and animals with her kids and those who attended storytimes at the Downtown Aquarium Denver, where she worked. Storytime included fun sing-along songs, reading a book about an animal, and then meeting that animal in real life. Some of the favorites included:
There’s a Binturong in My Bed
If You Were a Parrot
It’s a Tiger!
Rainbow Fish
How Do You Hug A Porcupine?
In 2024, she was inspired to start working on her debut novel Operation Okapi, which is coming in summer 2027, from History Through Fiction.
So when Clay from Swing High Publishing first sent the email, he didn’t know he'd landed in the inbox of an aspirational author. Milani was about month old and hitting all her important milestones. It was the perfect timing. LynnLee asked if she could send a concept pitch and Clay replied:
“This is amazing! Looking forward to it. Let me know if you guys need any input from me. I’d say we’re aiming for the 3-8 age range.”
LynnLee pulled out all her favorite storytime books and books she loved to read to her kids. She polled her friends and even dragged her husband to the bookstore to look at famous trending animal books like Fiona the Hippo and Punch the Monkey.
She knew the book needed to be fun and engaging with not too many words. She remembered paper-clipping pages together to skip certain parts of books, losing her audience during storytime, and wanted something kids and parents could read aloud.
It needed to have repetition, be easy to memorize, and funny!
The pitch concept was sent to Clay, and here’s what he had to say: “This is a fantastic first draft, LynnLee! (Most new authors don't have a good sense of what makes for a good children's book — but this is great!).”
The rest is history.
What the Zookeepers Did To Save A Baby Giraffe.
As the Integrator at Tanganyika daily animal care is no longer a daily part of LynnLee’s life. But when major procedures happen or when teams are short-staffed and need support, it's not unlikely for her to step in. She also has a lot of contacts in the field and acts as the liaison between experts when complicated animal care situations arise.
So when she heard that there was discussion about a giraffe C-section on a team that was already short-staffed, she made sure she was available to support. That initial morning of support turned in to twenty straight hours of medical procedures, intensive care, and even a trip halfway to Missouri to get plasma for the baby.
To sedate a pregnant giraffe is rare and there have only ever been three giraffe C-sections performed so it was important that we had all the experts on hand.
When the baby took its first breath, LynnLee became the in-between and the support network for the curatorial team.
Milani’s Miracle becomes a Children’s Book
Milani’s story might not have made it to the public as quickly as it did. After a few sleepless nights and long hard days int he barn, LynnLee’s main focus was still figuring out how to make sure everyone was helping this giraffe learn how to walk and manage her long neck without injuring herself. It was Zoo director Matt who pushed to put up a live cam. Most of the team was a little nervous since we still did not think she was going to live to put up a camera that might capture a traumatic moment like losing her, but LynnLee had already whipped out the camera to document her taking her first breath so they were prepared with some pretty compelling footage.
The world was watching. National news, social media daily updates, messages from zoo professionals and giraffe experts around the world. Those daily updates from her being weighed, receiving plasma, standing up for the first time, taking her bottle…they became the pages of How Do You Save A Baby Giraffe?
Milani’s Story Could Be Part of Your Next Storytime
How Do You Save A Baby Giraffe? The Wonderful True Story of Milani is currently available for pre-order on the wildlife park, author, and publisher websites.
shop.twpark.com — Limited-edition gift boxes are sold out, but you can find tons of Milani merch and swag.
lynnleewrites.com — Always has signed copies.
swinghighbooks.com — Order directly from the publisher.
The book is written for 3-8 year olds but anyone who loved the story will love the book. Anastasiia is an incredibly talented illustrator and did a stellar job of bringing the book to life one sketch at a time.
Teachers, librarians, and zoo educators will love this story. It highlights the dedication of animal care professionals, the collaboration that exists in the zoo industry, and it will make you laugh and maybe even cry all in one book.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is How Do You Save a Baby Giraffe? your first book?
It's my first children's picture book! I've loved writing and storytelling for years, but most of my career has been spent working with animals and the people who care for them. Milani's story gave me an unexpected opportunity to bring those two passions together.
How did you go from zookeeper to children's book author?
It wasn't exactly a straight line! I've loved books since childhood, studied creative writing in college, and spent years reading animal stories to children during zoo and aquarium storytimes.
When publisher Clay Anderson reached out about turning Milani's story into a children's book, I had years of favorite read-alouds, storytime memories, and animal care experience to draw from.
Why did you write Milani's story for children?
I wanted children to see what happens when people work together to care for an animal who needs extraordinary help. But I also wanted the book to be fun.
Some of the most memorable moments in Milani's early life were surprisingly funny, and I wanted children to experience that mixture of hope, determination, and joy.
How did you decide what to include in the book?
I thought about the books I loved reading to my own children and during storytimes. The best ones invited children to participate, anticipate what came next, and ask for the story again.
I wanted repetition, humor, memorable moments, and illustrations that helped tell the story without needing too many words.
Is the children's book based on what really happened?
Yes! Milani is a real giraffe born prematurely at Tanganyika Wildlife Park in Kansas. The book draws from real moments in her early life and the extraordinary work of the people who cared for her.
The storytelling is designed for young readers, with humor and opportunities to participate along the way.
What ages is How Do You Save a Baby Giraffe? written for?
The book was created with children ages 3–8 in mind. It's designed to be read aloud and enjoyed together, whether at home, in a classroom, at a library, or during a zoo storytime.
Who illustrated the book?
Anastasiia Tikhomirova illustrated How Do You Save a Baby Giraffe?, bringing Milani and her story to life through the artwork. Watching the illustrations develop was one of my favorite parts of the publishing process.
Can I invite you to a school, library, or book event?
I'd love to hear from you! My background includes years of working with children and families through zoo and aquarium education, and I enjoy sharing stories about animals, writing, and the people who care for wildlife.
Reach out through my website to discuss readings, school visits, author events, or other opportunities.
Where can I get a signed copy?
You can order signed copies directly from lynnleewrites.com. The book is also available through Tanganyika Wildlife Park and Swing High Books.
Are you writing more books?
Yes! My historical novel, Operation Okapi, is scheduled for publication in summer 2027. It explores wildlife, history, and human resilience through stories set in the Congo.
I also have more animal stories I'd love to tell. Milani certainly hasn't been the only animal to inspire me!
