About Us
The Writers
Caroline is a film director and animal physiotherapist, while Frank is a producer and film and television executive. Together, they form an award-winning family film writing team united by a deep love of animals. As unofficial ambassadors for their furry, feathered, and finned friends, they’ve always believed that the bond between kids and pets grows strongest when children are involved early in their care – not as a duty or chore, but as a joyful part of friendship and discovery.
That belief inspired this original, first-to-market children’s illustrated book series featuring cousins Zoe & Ziggy, who embark on exciting adventures with a different animal in each story – learning the simple, fun basics of caring for pets along the way. While the books share engaging facts about pet care, they are first and foremost a collection of delightfully hand-illustrated (no AI) rhyming stories created for children ages 3 to 9 – filled with heart, humor, and adventure.
Caroline and Frank live in Santa Monica with Tinkerbell – affectionately known as Tinky – their beloved two-legged goat and the inspiration behind Tinky Publishing. Rescued at just three days old, Tinky has been part of their family ever since. Their company’s logo proudly features Tinky as a baby, symbolizing the love, resilience, and joy that animals bring into our lives. Since childhood, pets have always been an essential part of their world, from horses, dogs, cats, and goats to fish, mice, gerbils, iguanas, birds, and more – each one leaving a lasting paw print on their hearts.
They can’t wait for kids everywhere to read and enjoy Zoe & Ziggy Pet Adventures – and to discover the magic of being their pet’s Superhero!
Tinkerbell “Tinky”
Tinkerbell was born on September 24, 2021, at only three pounds and with two unusable front legs. She was rejected by her mother and nearly put down when VIVA Rescue stepped in and saved Tinky’s whole family: her mom, twin brother, and sister. A few weeks later, we officially adopted her.
Tinky reminds us every day just how smart and adaptable animals are. She quickly made it clear that she prefers walking bipedally to using her custom pink wheelchair, and she figured out on her own that doggie pee pads are the perfect spot when she needs to go. She
has completely reshaped our daily lives and fills our home with so much laughter, love, and cuddles.
We named Tinky Publishing after her and her remarkable strength, resilience, and happy heart. And for extra fun, Tinky is hidden somewhere on a page in every book, so kids can try to find her.
Can you spot Tinky?
The Illustrator
Andrea is happy when she has a pencil, brush, or stylus in her hand and a dog by her side. You can see more of her work in movies such as Life of Pi, The SpongeBob Movie, Spider-Man, The Jungle Book, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, and many more.
Her exceptional talent has made her a highly sought-after artist, working with some of the most respected directors in the film industry.
She is also an acclaimed fine artist who has exhibited in Buenos Aires and London. We are so lucky and grateful to have Andrea as part of the Z & Z family.
Andrea lives in California with her husband and other beloved creatures.
Book 1, First Print proof, Oct 2021
How it all Began
a note from Caroline
As with most good ideas, this one came when I wasn’t looking for it – pure inspiration out of a need that was not being fulfilled. It happened while I was visiting my good friends and their 7-year-old daughter, Grace. Upon my arrival, Grace grabbed me by the hand and we raced upstairs to her room, as was our ritual. There she excitedly showed me all the new things from her week: drawings, books, toys, but nothing could start until we said hello to Thelma, her pet turtle.
Thelma was almost one year old, well, at least she was supposed to be, that’s when I noticed an odd marking on her belly; it was different from the last time I had visited Thelma. I didn’t say a word to Grace, just in case she hadn’t noticed. I soon learned that this indeed was a new Thelma, in fact, Thelma #3, which is crazy considering that pet turtles can easily live for 10 to 40 years. While Grace’s parents were certainly conscientious people, they simply didn’t realize that there was more to turtle care than just giving her food and water. Unable to bear telling Grace that Thelma 1 & 2 had passed; they just kept replacing her little hard-shelled friend.
I wanted to fix this. So, that afternoon, I headed to the pet store to find a simple book that would provide Grace with the basics of turtle pet care. To my utter surprise, there were no such books! The only books the pet store carried were 70 to 100 pages long and quite intimidating. Next, I headed to the bookstore; surely, they would have something in the kids’ section… No such luck; there were plenty of illustrated books about animals, but all in the fiction category. I even googled it and came up empty-handed there, too. Then a light went off… I would write these much-needed pet care books myself; after all, I was a writer! I’d make them entertaining & adventurous so that kids and parents could share them together; all the while learning the basic pet care needs of their beloved animal friends. And now, pet stores, bookstores, airports, and gift shops would all have a much-needed new item on their shelves. We hope your children love Zoe & Ziggy as much as we do!
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