Can an iPad Children's Book Help Chimpanzees?

An illustration from the "Chimps Should Be Chimps" children's iPad book.

Sometimes a project comes along that inspires us to change how we approach our work. The Lincoln Park Zoo and Project ChimpCARE came to Manning to create a unique way to educate the public about the harsh realities surrounding the use of chimps in entertainment. Our solution: an iPad children’s book designed to improve awareness and promote the well-being of chimpanzees. The goal is to educate parents and their children in a fun and entertaining way, while helping to shape a lifelong respect for these fascinating animals.

You may not think twice about seeing a chimpanzee in the movies or on TV. Though it may seem harmless, behind the scenes there’s a darker story. What most of us don’t know is that chimp actors are often taken from their mothers a few days after birth, forced to perform out of fear, and at the age of 7 or 8 become too big to handle and are commonly discarded to live the remaining 30 years of life in solitude in a cage.

The Manning team has spent hours carefully crafting a story and design that show the realities of using chimps as entertainers, while making a book that is entertaining and accessible for children. We’re developing all of the illustrations, animations, and final iPad app development in-house. Keep an eye out for the free app this fall, and watch our blog for Manning ‘sneak peeks’ in the upcoming weeks. If you don’t want to be kept hanging until the book comes out, join our mailing list for behind the scenes updates by contacting us at chimp@manningproductions.com.