From a young age, Josh Gabbatiss was determined to create something incredible. At just nine years old, he decided to write an encyclopedia of every living creature, starting with corals, worms, and jellyfish. Now, at age 30, he has completed the project with his final entry being one of our closest relatives, the chimpanzee.
For two decades, Gabbatiss, a climate journalist from south London, worked diligently on his book, “Josh’es Book of Animals”. His drawings and grammar have improved over time, but his handwriting “has remained pretty terrible”. The book is composed of 118 pages divided into six sections, including invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals, with an index at the end of each section.
Gabbatiss worked consistently on the book from nine into his teens, but other things started to get in the way as he got older. He was able to finish the project during the Covid lockdown and recently shared his finished creation on Twitter.
Gabbatiss’s story is a testament to the power of determination and childhood passions. He hopes that his book will encourage others to pursue their childhood dreams. The response to his book has been wonderful, with people remembering their own childhood obsessions or talking about the stuff that their children are obsessed with.
Josh Gabbatiss has achieved something incredible, and his story is sure to inspire many others. It is a reminder that no matter how big or small the dream may be, it is never too late to pursue it.
Source: www.theguardian.com