Daniel San Souci – illustratör

This engaging retelling of the Southern Sierra Miwok legend features the great Yosemite Valley monolith, El Capitan, and how it came to be. Mother Grizzly Bear thinks that her two playful cubs are wrestling and having fun along the Merced River while she is checking her fish traps. When she returns to join her sons, however, she discovers the cubs are nowhere to be found. It takes an unlikely hero to bring her cubs safely home. Populated with characters based on real Sierra animals, this story is about the value of all beings, the nature of courage, and the idea that being a hero has very little to do with one's size. Includes notes about the life and culture of the Southern Sierra Miwok and a bibliography.

A colorful alphabet book that spotlights the wildlife found in America's national parks. Featuring wonderful watercolor paintings and pencil drawings of various animals and parks by award-winning illustrator Dan San Souci, it is full of fascinating facts and other information for readers of all ages. Each letter introduces a different wildlife species, making it a great tool for introducing the alphabet to the very young. Older children will find the text a remarkable resource for learning about the birds, mammals, and other creatures that populate the national parks.