Newsroom

CORVALLIS, Ore. - The Oregon State University Press has published "Ricky's Atlas: Mapping a Land on Fire," a sequel to its first book aimed at children, written by two OSU faculty members.

In 2013, the press published "Ellie's Log: Exploring the Forest Where the Great Tree Fell," the story of two children exploring an old-growth forest in the Oregon Cascades. Written by Judith Li, and illustrated by M.L. Herring, the book received several honors, including the Green Earth Book Award Short List for books aimed at children., and an honorable mention from the John Burroughs Riverby Award Committee.

"Ricky's Atlas" continues to explore the nature of Oregon, this time east of the Cascade Mountains, where Ricky Zamora and his friend Ellie delve further into the relationship between people, plants and animals, while dealing with a wildfire sparked by lightning.

The two young explorers hike across a natural prairie, climb a fire tower, study historical photos and maps, and learn about the role of fire in nature. Ricky's love of map-making and his natural curiosity help shape the story.

"Upper elementary kids will enjoy the mixture of amazing adventures with actual historical, physical and ecological data about the region," said Marty Brown, marketing manager for the OSU Press. "Woven into the story are the small pleasures of ranch life, intriguing stories of Native Americans and early settlers, and almost unbelievable views of ancient fossils.

"Ricky and Ellie's explorations, accompanied by their hand-written notes, introduce readers to a very special landscape and history east of the Cascades."

Li is a retired associate professor in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at OSU, where she worked as a stream ecologist and participated in the National Science Foundation-sponsored Long-Term Ecological Research program at the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest.

Herring is a science writer and illustrator who heads the communications program in OSU's College of Agricultural Sciences.

"Ricky's Atlas" is available at book stores and for order at http://osupress.oregonstate.edu