Retired Army General Mark Hertling Brings Lessons in Character to Life in New Children’s Book

A Walk Through the Zoo introduces young readers to the importance of kindness, courage, honesty, and everyday choices.

ORLANDO, FL, UNITED STATES, November 10, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Blue Balloon Books is excited to announce the November 10, 2026, release of A Walk Through the Zoo, a new children’s picture book by best-selling author and retired US Army Lieutenant General Mark Hertling. Arriving just one day before Veterans Day, the book brings Hertling’s decades of experience in teaching leadership and character to a younger generation through a playful, animal-filled adventure inspired by stories he created with his grandchildren.

What does it mean to be a good person? Caleb, Gabe, and Abigail, guided by Adam the Alligator and Cocoa, their lovable pup, embark on a trip through the zoo, where each animal encounter reveals a new lesson about character. Along the way, they discover that strength isn’t always about power, confidence doesn’t have to be loud, and doing the right thing matters most when no one is watching.

Through colorful characters and relatable lessons, A Walk Through the Zoo encourages meaningful conversations between children, parents, grandparents, and educators about kindness, courage, honesty, responsibility, and respect.

“A friend inspired the idea for a children’s book after reading my book If I Don’t Return and telling me he wished there was a book with similar lessons he could read to his young children to help them begin their journey toward developing good character,” said Hertling.

Hertling is also the author of If I Don’t Return: A Father’s Wartime Journal, his best-selling, award-winning memoir published in March 2026. Originally written as a journal for his young sons during a combat deployment, the book explores leadership, family, service, and the lessons passed from one generation to the next. A Walk Through the Zoo continues that focus on character and values, introducing those lessons to children at an early age.

About the Author:
Lieutenant General (Ret.) Mark Hertling, with his wife, Sue, spent nearly four decades in the US Army. Since retiring from the military, he has continued to study, teach, and write about leadership, character, and service while working with a variety of organizations. In March 2026, Mark published If I Don’t Return: A Father’s Wartime Journal, which began as a journal written for his two young sons while he was deployed in combat. Decades later, he expanded his thoughts and turned the journal into a best-selling, award-winning book full of life lessons. Mark wrote A Walk Through the Zoo to share these same lessons in an age-appropriate way for young readers. These lessons may take a lifetime to understand, but it is never too early or too late to learn about how they contribute to being a good person.

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About Blue Balloon Books:
Blue Balloon Books is a premium hybrid publisher of children’s books, combining expert editing, illustration, and design with the speed, control, and creative partnership of independent publishing. Blue Balloon Books helps authors bring high-quality children’s books to life while maintaining ownership of their work and enjoying a collaborative publishing experience.

Sarah De Vos
Ballast Books
sarah@ballastbooks.com
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