...your
"MUST
TAKE" guide for visiting any Southern
Swamp in America.
(Click the thumbnail to see a
larger image of the cover.)
This book is a great
gift for the budding
naturalist, nature explorer, and anyone else ~ of
any age ~ who loves nature and is curious about what's
happening out there!"
Did you ever wish you could
explore inside a swamp without
getting soaking wet
becoming totally lost
being scared out of your
wits
getting all mucky
or being eaten by an
alligator?
Well, now you
CAN.
The Southern Swamp Explorer
is your ticket into the real life of a swamp.
You can read it in bed, from your hammock, lying in the grass or at your desk
~
living life right along with the swamp's wild creatures,
and not even get a mosquito bite.
OR,
you can take this book with you when you go swamping.
It
will answer your questions
and
make you want to know more ~ much more.
(and you'll probably find the answers right there in the book.)
The unusual format features an
ongoing real-life fictional narrative of the interconnected daily life of
more than forty swamp creatures ~ birds, reptiles, mammals, fish, insects and
plants. Facing each story page are illustrated side-bars crammed full of cool
info and fun facts.
(set to the side to avoid slowing down the story).
You'd
probably like to see inside the book. Wouldn't you like to know what the
alligator on the book cover is doing with those hatchlings? Take a peek!
It's
a book any nature lover will cherish ~ but you don't have to take our word
for it. Listen to what these people who have already read it have to say.
WHAT
READERS and REVIEWERS ARE SAYING:
from The Midwest
Book Review, Reviewer's Bookwatch: February 2009, Burroughs' Bookshelf,
John Burroughs
"..."The Southern Swamp Explorer" is informatively written and
profusely illustrated by Irene Brady who blends her impressively researched
data with the skills of a natural story teller.
The
result is a compendium of information and facts about forty-six animals
associated with these wetland ecosystems. Of special note is the engaging
discussion of the characteristics of a swamp, how they are formed, the
different classifications of swamps, and the types of plants and wildlife to
be found in cypress swamps, as well as the hardwood forests, pine flatwoods,
and scrub lands that surround them.
Enhanced with a comprehensive
four-page index, "The Southern Swamp Explorer" is appropriate as a
curriculum suppliment for environmental studies and highly recommended for
non-specialist general readers ages 13 to adult."
from ForeWord ~ Reviews of Good Books Independently Published, ForeSight Feature: Green
Islands: Perspectives, Guides, and Visual Records of the Natural World by:
Todd Mercer ~ January/February 2009
"From the bayous of Louisiana to subtropical Florida, the Deep South is
vitally alive and full of surprises for the unprepared, some of them
potentially deadly.
Irene
Brady, the writer and illustrator behind The Southern Swamp Explorer (Nature
Works Press, 978-0-915965-05-2) builds more interest than a simple cataloging
of common species could by focusing on forty-six of them in a linked
narrative of predation and interaction. Along the way she comments on both
general marshland conditions and curiosity-stoking details.
The author stresses the
interdependency of swamp species, pointing out aspects of symbiosis that
aren’t obvious. For example, alligators save more lives than they end. Their
habit of digging deeper pools is a key to survival during the peak of the dry
season, as those places end up being the sources of drinking water for many
other species, only a few of whom are picked off for food. Brady points out
that swamps aren’t static, they’re places in long-term transition: “…all
habitats are changing from one type to another depending on fire, rain,
drought, flood, and wildlife or human activities.”"
from Elizabeth Wasserman, Naturalist, Homer, Alaska
"Irene Brady’s latest book, The Southern Swamp Explorer, will lead you
into a strange world where few of us have gone before.
The
remarkably detailed illustrations and the true-to-life narrative transport
you directly into the amazing ecosystem of the deep swamp ~ then, the
thorough, interesting sidebars reveal its wonder-filled mysteries, with
close-ups, diagrams, and even a few funny rhymes to help remember things.
This
extraordinary book is a true treasure for any naturalist, any age,
anywhere."
from Arthur P. Cooley, Founding Trustee , Environmental Defense
Fund
“Swamps ... full of hidden life and mysterious sounds, peculiar creatures
with curious habits, strange plants with surprising qualities ~ an unfamiliar
place until you read The Southern Swamp Explorer by Irene Brady.
Clear
enough to hold the attention of a pre-teen, The Southern Swamp Explorer is
also an absorbing journey for the curious adult looking for answers.
Take
it with you next time you go swamping. It will greatly enrich your
experience.”
from Carol Lovell-Saas, Biologist, Educator and Director, Biophilia Nature Center, Elberta, Alabama
"I love this book!!! The Southern Swamp Explorer is a real treasure
chest and a tool kit that you can take into the swamp, use in the classroom,
or just enjoy wherever you may be.
Weaving
her rich artwork and natural history lessons into the “big picture,” Brady
has created a beautiful portrait of the traditionally unloved swamp. She
captures the imagination while highlighting the assets and values of
wetlands.
I recommend it for nature education
programs, promotion of wetlands conservation, and for sheer pleasure!”
from Jennifer Rigby, Director, Acorn Naturalists, "the premier nature catalog for today's young naturalists"
"Part field guide, part nature journal, The Southern Swamp Explorer does
a beautiful job of engaging readers with vivid narrative, exquisite drawings,
and fascinating facts about denizens of swamps and other Southern
Wetlands."
from Claire R. Coco, Director, BREC’s Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center, Baton Rouge, LA
"...the Southern Swamp Explorer is loaded with information about
southern swamp ecosystems. Natural and cultural history, biology, botany, and
ecology, presented in user-friendly text and fun-fact sidebars, is easy to
understand and entertaining for all ages.
And with directions to some of the
best sites to view southern swamps,
the Southern Swamp Explorer can serve as a great trip planner, too.”
