Former first lady Laura Bush and daughter Jenna Bush Hager co-writing children’s book

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Former first lady Laura Bush and daughter Jenna Bush Hager are working on another children’s book.

HarperCollins Publishers told The Associated Press on Thursday that the Bushes are collaborating with illustrator Jacqueline Rogers on “Our Great Big Backyard,” a picture story about a girl named Jane whose family road trip to the country’s national parks leads to her “paying attention to the majestic sights and spending less time looking at her screen.”

The book is coming out in May to coincide with the centennial of the National Park Service. Laura Bush and first lady Michelle Obama are honorary co-chairwomen of the park service’s anniversary celebration.

“I’ve hiked with childhood friends in the parks for years,” Laura Bush said in a statement issued through HarperCollins. “Jenna accompanied me on a float trip through the Grand Canyon and rode a horse for the first time when she was 3 near the Big Bend National Park. I want all children to go outside, play in nature, and explore America’s magnificent sites with their families.”

“Now that I have two little girls of my own, I know how important it is for kids to get outdoors,” Jenna Bush Hager said in a statement. “Writing this book has allowed me to see our beautiful country through the eyes of a young girl, and I have loved every minute. It was even sweeter since I wrote it with my mom.”

Financial terms for the book were not disclosed. The Bushes were represented by Washington attorney Robert Barnett, who negotiated deals for Laura Bush’s memoir “Spoken from the Heart” and on a picture book she and Jenna co-wrote in 2008, “Read All About It!”

A portion of the Bushes’ advance will be donated to the National Park Foundation. HarperCollins announced that it will plant more than 1,000 trees to coincide with the book’s release.