Classic Kids’ Books Get Recast Under A Stark Lens In Time For UN’s Climate Talks

Images courtesy of 99designs and featured with permission

The familiar covers of children’s classics have just had a very un-childlike makeover, with forest clearings left bare and coral reefs hidden beneath plastic.

This November, as the COP30 climate conference meets in Belém, Brazil—the first time the United Nations (UN) has gathered in the Amazon rainforest—99designs by Vista’s global community of freelancing designers launched a project to reimagine beloved children’s books through the lens of the climate crisis. According to the platform, these “new” covers show what might happen if cultural favorites turn into cautionary tales. 

Winnie-the-Pooh book cover redesign by SilentWhisper, images courtesy of 99designs and featured with permission

The collection features six redesigned covers, each casting familiar characters in unfamiliar scenes: Winnie-the-Pooh wandering a cleared tree stump, The Little Mermaid surrounded by ocean waste, and characters from The Wind in the Willows crossing polluted waters in gas masks, among others. The visual twist provokes questions about what happens when the world children inherit is scarred instead of safe.

The Little Mermaid book cover redesign by CriDascalu, image courtesy of 99designs and featured with permission

Mr. Men series book cover redesign by Flupito, image courtesy of 99designs and featured with permission

According to 99designs, 40% of freelance designers say they have rejected work because of a client’s position on a social issue, and 54% say combating climate change is their top concern. That sense of urgency, the company says, drove the illustrations. In a quote, CEO Patrick Llewellyn said the initiative shows how design can stir conversation by giving familiar stories a tougher twist.

The Wind in the Willows book cover redesign by micromegas, images courtesy of 99designs and featured with permission

“By reimagining the children’s stories we all grew up with through a climate lens, they’ve created something that feels both familiar and urgent, demonstrating how effective design can be at driving important conversations. Created by freelance designers across five continents, their creativity reminds us that the choices we make today will define the stories future generations around the world will inherit.”

The Jungle Book book cover redesign by Miniverso, image courtesy of 99designs and featured with permission

Each cover juxtaposes some of the most nostalgic tales with actual environmental threats: deforestation amid jungle adventures, drowning seas instead of under-sea castles, diminishing fish instead of playful rhymes. Designers hope the shift makes climate change feel accessible, especially to younger audiences who encounter scores of upbeat stories but fewer warnings.

Ultimately, the series highlights how design can serve as environmental activism. Not through shouting slogans, but with a visual space where fantasy and fact meet.

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish book cover redesign by Steve Hai, images courtesy of 99designs and featured with permission

[via 99designs, images courtesy and featured with permission]