Animals of the National Parks: An Alphabet Book, by Fifty-Nine Parks

 

Publication May 5, 2025

The child in me still gravitates to alphabet books. Give me one featuring animals and I'm a happy camper. I'm always curious to see how the creators will differentiate their book from the multitude of others out there, not to mention how they'll find a way to represent some of the lesser used letters. This one does both well. 

To be honest, there was a part of me interested to see not just what Alaskan animals make the cut but how they'd handle those tricky letters like "X". Well, first, they cleverly used descriptive adjectives such as zigzag salamander, but outdid themselves for that "X". They not only came up with an Alaskan critter but one whose name I didn't recognize. As it turned out, I've even seen that animal, nope, not telling, but just didn't now its official name. See, even us big kids can learn a thing or two from these alphabet books. Needless to say, being Alaskan with access to not just Denali National Park but wild animals occasionally roaming about, I was delighted to discover how many I had seen. Young readers should appreciate the chart provided at the end where they can write down not just the animals they've observed but things like who they were with at the time and even sounds heard. A nice touch.

The illustrations were realistic but fun in a slightly whimsical way. I mean, it doesn't look like those bears might want to eat us for dinner. Grin. Each subject gets a full color illustrations and short, easy to digest description on the next as well as what parks they might be found at. Another nice teaching touch is that each alphabet letter is presented in both upper and lower case, not always common. There's a lively color map at the end that shows where each park is located as well as showing small versions of the animals scattered about. There's also a list to make it even clearer. Then the chart I mentioned earlier. All in all, nicely done and would make not only a fun gift for animal crazy kids but a nice addition to your school or classroom libraries. Thanks #ClarksonPotter - #TenSpeedPress for gifting me this early copy. It made me crave another trip to Denali National Park. Ironically enough, although moose are common sights here in Alaska...in fact, one visited my yard just a few days ago....that's the one critter I've yet to spy while visiting the park, go figure.

A Very Woodsy Murder, by Ellen Byron

 Publication July 23, 2024

Excellent start to a new series. It did take me a bit to warm-up to Dee Stern but I came to like her spunk, for lack of a better word. She's been floundering in her role as a TV script writer and wants a change. True, she needs to work on her self-control and rein in her impulses, especially her mouth. It does seem to operate faster than her brain at times but that's half the fun and I did notice that she was making progress as the story went along. Of course, it was that impulsive decision to buy a run down, rustic motel that ultimately put her and ex-husband, now BFF Jeff, on a murder suspect list. Let's face it. Having their first guest murdered was not in their plans. 

Who killed annoying, deceitful script writer Michael Adam Baker who, as it turns out, isn't only rather a celebrated celebrity "son" in Foundgold but someone Dee once worked with. Unhappily, I might add. I'll leave that story for readers to discover, however. Who knew so many Hollywood types hung out in rural, rustic towns? It's a fun story, full of twists and turns and, oh, my, what a cast of quirky characters. Dee also inherits, so to speak, an ol' dog named Nugget who belonged to the late past owner and even a bear named Stoney. I think the bear by the cabin on the cover is what drew me initially to the book as I live in Alaska where bears in your yard aren't necessarily a oddity. The story takes place in the foothills of the Sierras, however. There's a neighboring town seemingly trapped in the gold rush era, with residents dressing appropriately to help sell the image. Even the local law officers. Wyatt Earp, anyone?

Watching Dee fumble her way through her first efforts at investigating is both hilarious and painful. As noted earlier, she doesn't always know when to rein in her impulsive mouth. With most of the residents already suspicious of Dee and Jeff as newbies, her efforts do little to appease their concerns. The cast, as noted, is definitely quirky but each stands out as an individual and most are quite likable, even the ones that initially frighten city-girl Dee. The setting sounds lovely and I could easily envision the views and, yes, the abundance of wildlife, even the artwork described. The humor and jokes flowed, too, both good and not, and, of course, given the setting, the Donner Party gets a mention....or two. Everything seems to make Dee think of a potential series pitch given her background, so it will be interesting to see if she's really done with that or finds time between cleaning guest rooms and changing sheets to get involved again. Maybe she can make Stoney a star? The rather sketchy look at her relationship with her voice actor father intrigues me, too, allowing us another glimpse into the behind-the-scenes goings on in the entertainment industry. 

And...and so much more. Seriously, as much fun as getting a glimpse of Hollywood writers and the business, it's a fun story primarily character driven. Despite being a bit taken aback by Dee's personality initially, I gradually warmed to her, if not all her jokes. Grin. Thanks #NetGalley and #KensingtonPublishing - #KensingtonCozies for introducing me to Foundgold and it's intriguing residents. I'm looking forward to finding out what's in store for Dee and Jeff, wondering where Dee's drive and imagination will take them. Hopefully not onto another suspect list.