Clark the Mountain Beaver has spent his life living peacefully in his burrow. He has been shy and usually only ventures at night, but one day he decides that he will have an affair and will leave his burrow during the day when most of the other creatures are around.
What follows in Karen Shea Clark’s new book The Mountain Beaver and His Big Adventure is page after page of beautiful illustrations as Clark discovers not only what the outside world is all about, but educates his new friends about what a mountain beaver. You see, Clark is constantly being mistaken for the most popular American beaver, even though he doesn’t have a long tail and is much smaller than his famous namesake, plus he lives underground in a burrow rather than building a cabin.
But despite any identity confusion he experiences on his adventure, Clark discovers that the world is full of fascinating creatures, most of whom are very friendly. Just a few of those friends include a mother deer and her two fawns and a busy family of squirrels. The ducks Mr. and Mrs. Quacker are a fun married couple, and then there’s Stella, Steller’s Jay, who LOVES peanuts. Only the humans’ dog Bridger seems to pose a threat, though Clark is also a bit unsure about Hep, a bald eagle, when he first meets her, but quickly wins over Hep by asking them if they can be friends and then explaining. . that friends do not eat.
Author Karen Shea promises parents that the story “will bring your child to Clark’s side as he learns about friendship, trust, and the understanding that it’s okay to be who you are.” That lesson is clear throughout the book, but especially when Clark meets his latest friend, Lewis, the American beaver. Both are stunned to meet the other and quickly form a bond.
As a bonus, Shea points out that it’s no coincidence that Clark and Lewis are named after famous explorers. In fact, the Lewis & Clark expedition was responsible for wrongly naming the Mountain Beaver after a beaver. Shea gives a short history lesson about the expedition at the end of the book, complete with a map of the trip. It also includes facts about mountain beavers and a special page for children to record the various creatures they discover in their own garden.
This book is sure to turn your child into a curious naturalist and animal lover. Kelly Halpin’s beautiful illustrations are worthy of a Disney cartoon. A coloring book, Clark the Mountain Beaver and his new friends! it is also available on the book’s website. I think even those famous explorers would have enjoyed this colorful, page-turning adventure.
