Publisher Profile: True Heart Tails
The CBC asks Brittany Petish, Founder & Publisher, questions about the publisher.
How did your publishing house start out?
True Heart Tails™ was born from both heartbreak and hope.
After losing my soul dog, Annabelle “Blue”, I found myself searching for a place to heal. I began spending weekends in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia, where nature offered the quiet I needed and reminded me that healing often comes in unexpected ways.
It was there that I met Sally—a wild deer with a torn ear and gentle spirit, and an extraordinary story. Watching her each week changed something in me. I realized that some of the most meaningful children’s stories weren’t imagined—they were already happening all around us.
I wrote Sally the Brave, and what I thought would be a single book quickly became something much larger.
Today, I write and illustrate every True Heart Tails story, drawing from my own photographs and firsthand experiences with the animals that inspire them. I partner with wildlife rehabilitation centers, conservation organizations, nature centers, sanctuaries, therapy programs, and the people who care for extraordinary animals to transform their true stories into beautifully illustrated children’s books. Before every story is written, I spend time with the animals, photograph them, interview the people who know them best, and learn what makes each story unique.
In just over a year, True Heart Tails has grown into collaborations with wildlife rehabilitation centers, conservation organizations, museums, nature centers, and therapy programs across the country. Along the way, our books have earned nine national award wins and finalist recognitions, reflecting the impact these authentic wildlife stories are having with readers, educators, and the publishing community.
My hope is that every True Heart Tails book helps children discover not only the wonder of wildlife, but also the empathy, resilience, and connection that nature has a remarkable way of teaching us all.
What is your publishing house most known for?
True Heart Tails is best known for transforming the true stories of real animals, wildlife organizations, and the people who care for them into beautifully illustrated children’s books. Our award-winning titles blend accurate wildlife education with social-emotional learning, helping children develop empathy, resilience, kindness, and respect for the natural world. We work directly with wildlife rehabilitation centers, nature centers, therapy farms, sanctuaries, and conservation organizations to ensure each story reflects genuine experiences while supporting the missions of our partners.
How many books does your house aim to publish per season/year?
We typically publish between 12 and 20 new titles annually, while continuing to expand our catalog with American Sign Language (ASL) editions and Spanish-language editions to help make our stories more accessible to children and families.
Which genres does your house prefer to publish?
We specialize in children’s picture books that combine wildlife, nature, conservation, and social-emotional learning. While our stories are grounded in real experiences, they often blend narrative storytelling with educational nonfiction, creating books that inspire both curiosity and compassion.
Which formats does your house prefer to publish?
Our catalog includes board books, hardcover and paperback picture books, American Sign Language (ASL) editions, and Spanish-language editions. We believe every child deserves opportunities to connect with meaningful stories, and accessibility remains an important part of our publishing mission.
What are some of your house’s publishing priorities over the next few years?
Our goal is to continue partnering with wildlife organizations, conservation groups, museums, zoos, and therapy programs across the country to tell more true stories that might otherwise go untold.
We’re also expanding our educator resources, classroom materials, and accessible editions while building a catalog that helps children develop empathy for both people and wildlife through authentic storytelling.
Which title has your house recently rallied behind?
One book we’re especially excited about is Bob and the Season of Waiting, inspired by a real hummingbird undergoing rehabilitation. Through Bob’s journey, children discover that healing isn’t something we can rush and that growth often happens quietly, one small step at a time.
The book has resonated with educators, families, and wildlife professionals alike because its message extends far beyond the natural world. The book was reviewed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s K–12 Education team and selected for their Fall Migration Celebration, with copies available in the Cornell Visitor Center. We’re honored that Bob’s story is helping inspire conversations about both bird conservation and the patience that healing often requires.
Which upcoming titles is your house buzzing about?
We’re especially excited about Jingle & Jangle’s Mistletoe Tree, inspired by Northern Mockingbirds and the surprising role they play in helping mistletoe grow in nature. The book will be released just in time for the holiday season.
We’re also developing new stories featuring animal ambassadors from wildlife centers and sanctuaries, along with an upcoming collection inspired by the remarkable wildlife of Georgia’s coast, including sea turtles, alligators, and eastern diamondback rattlesnakes.
Which of your frontlist titles would be great for a school or public library?
Many of our frontlist titles are well suited for school and public libraries because they bring together engaging storytelling, authentic wildlife education, and social-emotional learning.
Jack and the Hidden Seeds introduces children to seed dispersal, forest ecosystems, and the important role animals play in nature. Bob and the Season of Waiting explores hummingbird migration, wildlife rehabilitation, patience, and resilience through the true story of a recovering hummingbird. Leo and the Soft Place to Land gently introduces themes of trust, healing, and sanctuary through the story of a chimpanzee finding a second chance. The book features a foreword by Mary Lee Jensvold, Ph.D., renowned chimpanzee researcher and Director of the Fauna Foundation Chimpanzee Communication Program, whose work has helped advance our understanding of chimpanzee cognition and communication.
Each title is inspired by real animals and developed through firsthand research with the organizations and professionals who care for them, making the books valuable additions to science, literacy, and SEL collections in both school and public libraries.
Which of your frontlist titles would be great for a classroom? Which grade?
Our books are best suited for preschool through fourth-grade classrooms.
Jack and the Hidden Seeds aligns well with K–4 science instruction and includes educator resources connected to life science standards. Bob and the Season of Waiting works beautifully alongside units on birds, migration, seasons, and social-emotional learning. As a certified Project WILD and Project Learning Tree educator, I strive to create books and teaching materials that help educators connect literacy, science, and environmental stewardship in meaningful ways.
Name a few of your favorite backlist titles that people should check out.
Sally the Brave will always hold a special place in our hearts because it inspired everything that followed.
We’re also especially proud of Phoenix and the Farm of Second Chances, inspired by a beloved Belgian Draft horse whose story reminds children that every life has value, and McKenna’s Promise, created in partnership with McKenna Farms Therapy Services to celebrate the healing connection between children and horses.
What else would you like to tell us about your house and the amazing work you all do?
At True Heart Tails, we believe some of the most meaningful children’s stories are already happening—we simply have the privilege of telling them.
Every animal has a story worth listening to, every organization has a mission worth sharing, and every child deserves books that nurture both curiosity and compassion.
Our hope is that when children close one of our books, they not only learn something new about wildlife, but also see the world a little differently. We believe that compassion for animals often grows into compassion for people, and that caring for the natural world begins with understanding it. By connecting young readers with authentic wildlife stories, we’re helping raise a generation that values empathy, stewardship, and the remarkable lives of the animals with whom we share our world.
Thank you, True Heart Tails!
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