Only in Florida, by Heather Alexander, Joseph Moffat-Peña (Illustrator)

 

Publication March 5, 2024

Lively, colorful illustrations that feature Florida's landscape and imagery. Yes, lots of orange trees and beach scenes but there is so much more to Florida. It's all there.

There's a quite comprehensive index at the end, so I won't belabor all you'll find within. But, how about a few teasers? How about Spook Hill in Lake Wales? Why is your car rolling downhill in neutral when it looks like you're going uphill? Ohh, spooky. You're never more than 60 miles from a beach when you're in Florida, so it's obvious you'll find lots of sunny, beach scenes, but leave time for the spectator sports,  a visit to Ocala horse country, and, of course, Disney World. Make you wear sunscreen lotion, though, as Florida averages 237 days of sunshine per year and is not only the flattest and hottest state on average, but most humid with the most thunderstorms and lightning. 

Not exactly grist for the tourist pages but it's just part of Florida. There's much, much more. Like NASA's space center, which gave rise to the adoption of the moonstone as the state gem (despite the fact they aren't natural to Florida). While some of these facts and stats may sound negative, there is much to be enjoyed and it's a popular retirement site. I liked the fact the book didn't try to ignore or play down the potential negatives, too, from the heat to the weather incidents. I lived much of my life there and enjoyed the warmth, lack of snow, and then acres of orange trees that then surrounded me. Hey, do you know how Gatorade was invented? You will after reading this book. Notable people are showcased, as is the state's history in a colorful timeline early on. The trees and flowers, oh, my, beautiful and plentiful and many are year round. 

Thanks #NetGalley and #QuartoPublishingGrop - #WideEyedEditions for giving me this sneak peek at my ol' state. By sheer serendipity, my last previous review was Alaska based. This one is Florida, the state I moved to Alaska from. What are the odds? It's a magical mix of the unusual, quirky, tropical, beach, and eclectic sites you won't find everywhere. You can even watch a mermaid show! Or visit, no lie, a garbage truck museum!