April Vokey's The World Through Your Eyes is the Outdoors Story We Need Right Now
April Vokey’s debut children’s book, The World Through Your Eyes, follows Addie outdoors—reminding us how wonder, curiosity, and nature begin.
When I first came to fly fishing many moons ago, the name April Vokey was everywhere. It seems I've known of April for a long time—long enough to have watched her become one of the most recognizable women in the outdoors. I've been fortunate enough to be able to call her my friend since before she became a mom. Through it all, she still somehow continues to stay grounded in what matters most - curiosity, honesty, and real life.
So when I heard she’d written a children’s book, I’ll admit my brain went where yours probably does. I pictured something instructional. A “how-to” wrapped in a sweet story. Maybe a kid-friendly version of the world we all know her for.
That’s not what this is—and thank goodness.
April’s new book, The World Through Your Eyes, is a love letter to the outdoors as a child experiences it: unfiltered, imaginative, and full of tiny moments adults tend to miss when we’re busy trying to “make the most” of a day outside. It’s told through the lens of her daughter, Addie, and it’s as much for the grown-ups as it is for the kids.
Not what you’d expect. Exactly what we need.
April has built a career in a world that often celebrates intensity—bigger trips, bigger fish, bigger opinions. She’s done all of that, brilliantly. But this book goes the other direction on purpose. It slows down. It softens. It reminds you that the outdoors isn’t just a place to do something. It’s a place to notice things.
And kids? Kids notice everything.
In The World Through Your Eyes, Addie leads. She sees wonder where adults see “just a stick.” She turns simple scenes into big discoveries. That’s the magic here: it doesn’t force a message. It lets the message find you.
If you’re a mom, a dad, an aunt, a mentor, a teacher, or just someone who loves to be outside, this book lands in a really special way. It’s an invitation to step out the door and let a child’s curiosity set the pace.
The artwork makes it feel real—because it is.
The illustrations are done by Diane Michelin, and they’re gorgeous in that warm, lived-in way that feels like memory. Even better: the art is based on real photos from April and Addie’s time outdoors together, which is why the book reads like a true day outside—not an “outdoor-themed” idea someone dreamed up at a desk.
Why DUN is talking about this
At DUN Outdoors, we’re always going to celebrate women who do big things outside. But we’re also going to celebrate the quieter work—the kind that changes culture over time. The kind that shapes how the next generation sees the outdoors, and who they believe belongs there.
This book matters because it meets the moment. We’re all tired. We’re all busy. And a lot of us are trying to raise kids who feel confident outside without turning every outing into a production.
April’s story gives us permission to stop performing and start paying attention again.
The World Through Your Eyes isn’t only for fly fishing families. It’s for anyone who wants their child to grow up with dirt on their knees, wonder in their pocket, and a relationship with the natural world that feels personal and joyful.
Sometimes the most noteworthy women don’t give us what we expect. They give us what we need.
Book: The World Through Your Eyes by April Vokey, illustrated by Diane Michelin.
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