When drought-weary forest animals must temporarily take up residence in a small town, Tim Armstrong and his friends participate in a grand adventure as the critters — trained by Coyote and guided by Grandmother Owl — craftily outmaneuver confused adults. Scant hours before the animals run out of survival tricks, high-flying Eagle returns from a trip to the top of the world with important news about a change in the weather.
Read Chapter 1
From the author:
I hope you have read — or intend to read — The Elk in the Attic. It is an entertaining story about wild animals trying to survive a drought by moving out of the forest and into a small town. I wrote it for children but have discovered that many adults like it, too. Especially adults who can vividly recall the first time they encountered a skunk or a deer or a raccoon in their urban neighborhood and marveled at the rare sight. Or adults who wonder why some wild critters find it necessary to risk their lives just so they can live in or near civilization.
I thought about this story for many years before I wrote it. It seemed to me if an unusually large number of wild critters moved into my town, the first people to notice them would probably be children. For one thing, kids are not as distracted by work and responsibility as adults. And because they’re kids, I knew they would react differently from their parents to the presence of wildlife. I also thought it made a lot of sense not to present a predigested solution to the complex urban wildlife issue hinted at in this simple story. It made more sense to me to just introduce the issue in a fun way and then let readers — both adults and children — figure out for themselves how this problem could best be handled where they live … both now and in the future.
The beautiful and classic illustrations in The Elk in the Attic were created by Professor Walt Anderson - wildlife biologist, professional photographer, painter and illustrator. I think he captured the key scenes perfectly. If you would like to inquire about Walt’s art, you can contact him at aardist@gmail.com.
All proceeds from the sale of The Elk in the Attic go to support the renovation of the Elks Opera House in downtown Prescott, Arizona. But that’s just where the money goes. My hope is that this story will go everywhere that people and wildlife find themselves sharing the same space. Like your town, for instance.
I invite you to read the first chapter of The Elk in the Attic.
CHAPTER 1
THE MEETING
The animals were in danger. It was the driest spring season in one hundred years. Day after blistering day,the sun pounded the ground like a red-hot hammer,beating every drop of moisture from the dusty soil. Normally full of rainwater, the creeks and streams were empty, littered with dead brush and leaves. In the forest, all living things were suffering from the absence of water.
In her long lifetime, Grandmother Owl had found it necessary to call only two meetings of the forest animals. Now she knew it was time to do it again. She was an old and exceptionally wise owl. When the word went out that Grandmother wished to speak to everyone at midnight when the moon was full, the animals understood that she had something of great importance to say. [more …]
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Copyright © 2007
Illustrations Copyright © 2007 by Walt Anderson