Santa Cruz Artist, Designer, and Children’s Author Re-releases His Beloved 'Câmbio' This Spring

SANTA CRUZ, CA, UNITED STATES, April 8, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Already a well-known figure in Santa Cruz and the surrounding areas for his popular Bike Exchange event that processed seventy donated bikes and distributed them to the community, Taylor Lahey isn’t just a creative—he’s a visionary.

Inspired by a decades-old Brazilian initiative in which the government provided bus tokens in exchange for litter collection, Lahey’s Bike Exchange was founded to improve local transportation access. However, its impact extended beyond mobility. By encouraging bike use over motor vehicles, the initiative has helped reduce emissions, promote environmental sustainability, and improve the physical health of residents—all while making transportation more accessible.

The bus token initiative adapted by Lahey from Brazil isn’t just modeled in his Bike Exchange but is the essence of his children’s book, "Câmbio."

Lahey’s "Câmbio" will release its second edition through Blue Balloon Books on Earth Day, April 22, 2025. In this beautiful story filled with mosaic-style artwork, one little boy in Brazil takes part in his city’s trading litter for bus tokens program. The more trash he turns in, the more tokens he receives, and over time, his life and the lives of others improve as they venture farther and farther on the bus. Soon, the boy's neighborhood is clean, and the people’s lives are improved in more ways than one.

This book is filled with essential life lessons and subtle ways to improve any community.

To connect with Lahey about his mission, contact Blue Balloon Books.

About the Author:

Taylor Lahey grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. His childhood passion for drawing led him to a career in graphic design, animation, and art direction. "Câmbio" is his first children’s book and is a reflection of why he writes: to share his vision for a more beautiful world. Today, Taylor resides in Santa Cruz, California, where he works to impact his community.

Kayla Mancuso
Ballast Books
kayla@ballastbooks.com