The Ground Squirrels Take Glacier, Maybe?
by L. Sandra Johnson
illustrations by L. Sandra Johnson
published by L. Sandra Johnson
produced by Sweetgrass Books
- A spunky Ground Squirrel who lives at Lake McDonald Lodge wants to take over Glacier National Park, but first he must scare the gardener away. This story tells how this Ground Squirrel and his pals carry out his plan. Anyone who has struggled with squirrels in their gardens and lawns will enjoy this story of a gardener contending with pesky squirrels as she tries to make the flower beds beautiful for the guests and visitors. Fully illustrated.
32 pages, 8 1/2'' x 11'', 105 softcovers per case
softcover
ISBN 10: 1591521572
ISBN 13: 9781591521570
$7.95
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| The Ground Squirrels Take Glacier, Maybe? |
| "The Ground Squirrels Take Glacier, Maybe.... is an educational animal fantasy about a mischievous band of Colombian Ground Squirrels who once ate all the flowers they could reach at Lake McDonald Lodge in Glacier National Park. The jolly hero, presented in eclectic crayoned underground splendor, is Gopher Joe, an ambitious, eccentric character. If Gopher Joe had his way, things would turn around in Glacier Park. Instead of humans being in charge and driving red tour buses about, the Ground Squirrels would take over and charge admission in delectable flowers, which Ground Squirrels love to eat. However, a determined lady Gardener is the instrument to foil the dreams of Gopher Joe and all his family. The Ground Squirrels meet and plot together to scare the Gardener, make mean faces, eat lots of flowers, show their teeth and even scream! However, some of the Ground Squirrels were not persuaded to cooperate with this be-mean-to-the-Gardener approach. They enjoyed eating human snacks like potato chips and cookies. Even Rex the raven was asked to help the Ground Squirrels to help scare the Gardener, but she only enjoyed the sound and sight of the raven and his mate. When Gopher Joe asked Spermanidas, the Spartan Squirrel to help in their anti Gardener campaign, he regretfully refused also, because it was time to celebrate the Hibernation Moon Festival, giving thanks to the Earth for food and asking to be kept safe in their burrows for another winter. After the Ground Squirrels finally went into their August hibernation, the Gardener replanted pansies and marigolds to please the guests of the lodge. But she missed the squirrels, even though they were a nuisance, pesky varmints eating all her flowers. As the Ground Squirrels went to sleep, the end of the story seems near, or maybe not? The Gardener, who was also the author, added some pages of wonderful information about the real habits and antics of the Ground Squirrels of Glacier Park which she observed from 1998 to 2013 at Lake McDonald. A handy list of related source books completes the exciting story of The Ground Squirrels Take Glacier, Maybe.... Kids age 8 and up will enjoy this story and its real context.
-The Midwest Book Review |
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Sandra Johnson was born in Sheridan, Wyoming but her family immediately moved to Seattle where her dad repaired ships during World War II. In 1946 her family moved to Missoula, Montana where she attended grade school. Her family bought a small farm in the Bitterroot Valley her freshman year in high school and she graduated from Florence Carlton High School. After attending the University of Montana and Colorado College for a while she married and had two children. She then lived in Princeton, New Jersey, Vancouver, B.C., Washington D.C. and Ithaca, New York where her husband taught at Cornell University. During the summers in New York she studied Sanskrit and Yoga with Dr. Ramurti Mishra on Ananda Ashram in Monroe, New York. When her children started school she moved back to Missoula, Montana and graduated from the University of Montana in 1980, majoring in Religious Studies and History. She obtained two more degrees in Classics and English in 1983 and earned a teaching certificate. She has been employed in various positions in the Missoula County Public Schools since 1985, including that of Latin Teacher at Sentinel High School. During the summers from 1998 through 2013 she worked as gardener for Glacier Park, Inc. in Glacier National Park. |