Friends of the Bush

About the Book

Set in the breathtaking Eastern Cape of South Africa, Friends of the Bush is a tender and captivating children’s story that follows Elna, a wise and gentle elephant, on her path to healing, trust, and friendship. Once fearful and reactive from past traumas, Elna learns to feel safe again with the help of Neo, a kind guide, and begins reconnecting with others on the reserve.
As Elna visits the watering hole, she meets a diverse group of animal friends—some playful, some cautious, and others still learning to trust. Through patience, shared stories, and gentle encouragement, the animals explore how to feel safe in uncertain times.
Created by two trauma therapists, this story beautifully weaves themes of emotional safety, connection, and resilience. Rich with cultural, ecological, and therapeutic elements, it offers children and caregivers a meaningful way to talk about feelings, relationships, and recovery. With vibrant illustrations and engaging characters inspired by real South African wildlife, Friends of the Bush is a heartfelt resource for young readers, therapists, and families alike.

About the Author

Loni Fagel, MA, MEd, LPCC, RST is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, Registered Sand Therapist, EMDRIA Approved Consultant™, and expressive arts therapist who believes in the healing power of creativity. For years, she has helped children, teens, and adults navigate life’s challenges—including grief, trauma, medical hardships, and identity exploration—using the arts as a path to healing. Whether through storytelling, movement, music, drama, visual arts, or creative writing, Loni invites others to process big emotions and build resilience in imaginative, supportive ways. Loni’s passion for expressive arts therapy and medical trauma work has taken her across the U.S. and internationally as a sought-after speaker and trainer. She creates safe, welcoming spaces where people of all ages can connect, grow, and rediscover their voices through creativity. Her gentle, playful approach is especially meaningful to children, who often find their feelings easier to share through art, play, and story. This book reflects Loni’s deep belief that stories can be both comforting and empowering. Through her writing, she hopes to inspire children to express themselves freely, trust their inner strength, and know they are never alone in their feelings. Loni’s website is lonifagel.com.

Karli L. Coverdale M.S.Ed., LMHC, BCBA/LBA
Karli is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Registered Play Therapy Supervisor™, EMDRIA Certified Therapist™ and Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Karli has been a mental health professional for over ten years, specializing in working with young children and adults using the healing powers of play. Karli is passionate about relational dynamics that allow those she encounters to feel seen, secure and understood. Karli prides herself in continually evolving as a professional and creating spaces to better understand the perspective, identities, cultures and experiences of others— essential to their process of becoming. At the same time, Karli recognizes that, for many, the experiences that influence development can serve as a catalyst in discovering who they truly would like to be. Karli is a first-time author, making her debut with Friends of the Bush and accomplishing a personal goal of writing a children’s book. Born, raised and residing on Long Island, New York, Karli spends her days helping others seek healing and providing relationship-focused behavior change through clinical practice, supervision and consultation. So much of Karli’s work focuses on impacting the lives of those she encounters and she is hopeful that this book will be no different. Karli’s website is www.karlicoverdale.com.

Illustrator: Saidi Alifa is a children’s book illustrator from Blantyre, Malawi. He sees the picture book as the perfect canvas for the kind of art he loves: narrative, expressive, and full of life.
Drawing inspiration from oil painting, Saidi's illustrations combine character design, world-building, and careful craftsmanship, shaped in part by his background in civil engineering. That training continues to influence his structured, thoughtful approach to client work and planning. His artistic influences include Loish and Patrick Brown, both of whom shaped his passion for dynamic, character-driven art. For Saidi, drawing is pure joy, and he hopes every story he works on helps children see a part of themselves in the characters, environments, and emotions on the page. When not drawing, he’s either cycling or reading a book.
Website: saidialifa.art