Rudyard Kipling set The Jungle Book in India, a place he knew well. I set my retelling in Africa, a place I know and love, swapping out the Indian animals for those that roamed the Central African jungles over a century ago. Back then gorillas, leopards, lions, and even African wild dogs were abundant; now their territories are mostly separated and greatly reduced. It was a beautiful experience for me: to reunite these wonderful creatures for a little while in this illustration project.