A children's author from Congleton has teamed up with Rainforest Trust UK for her debut picture book, The Problem with Poppy.

Emma Sandford's publisher, Full Media Ltd, recently enjoyed considerable success with the Congleton-based children's book One Night in Beartown, and the company hope to repeat the process with Emma's unique story.

The book is set in a rainforest and follows the adventures of Poppy, a young porcupine who is very defensive due to her life experiences, until she meets a playful young tiger cub.

She decides to try and conquer her problem so that she can form a friendship.

"I wanted to write a book about being defensive," said Emma, "and a porcupine seemed like the perfect animal, as they can look very cute but of course they can also appear as aggressive due to their quills."

The book also touches on the issue of poaching but does so in a child-friendly way.

"At the start of the book, Poppy is worried about her personal issue of struggling to form friendships," Emma continued, "but later in the story she has a far bigger concern. But you'll have to read it to find out what happens!"

Emma has partnered with Rainforest Trust UK, who read the story and were instantly captivated by it.

"We love the message of The Problem with Poppy," stated RTUK's Fundraising Manager Vicky Wallace, "the story has so much heart. We hope the Kickstarter is successful and the book gets published, as the £1 donation per book sale will do a lot of good for endangered species and rainforest protection."

You can support Emma and Rainforest Trust UK by pledging to the Kickstarter campaign.

Pledge options start from £10 for a signed copy of the book and there are various other rewards available, including plush toys and certificates for saving acres of rainforest.

The Kickstarter campaign is currently on £554 at the time of writing and needs to hit £2,500 by 3 March.

If you would like to support Emma and Rainforest Trust UK, click here to make a pledge.