Western Reads

WESTERN READS

From Aaron Downey

There is a new style of history book in which the author examines the past from the reference point of a number of significant items. One fascinating entry in that vein is The History of Fly-Fishing in Fifty Flies, by Ian Whitelaw. Whether for sport, hobby, or putting food on the table, fly-fishing has been around for centuries, and Whitelaw packs this book with detail to delight beginner and pro anglers alike. It starts with the flies themselves—such as the Stewart Black Spider, the Copper John Nymph, and Ally’s Shrimp—all beautifully rendered by Julie Spyropoulos, and goes from there.

Primates and canines get along about as well as any two species on Earth can, yet we humans lose a lot in translation when communicating with our dogs. The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs, by Patricia B. McConnell, shows us how we can be better dog communicators and therefore better owners, trainers, and companions. McConnell examines our dogs’ behaviors—and our own—through her experience as an Applied Animal Behaviorist and a sheep rancher.

We had a lot of spring rain this year, and that makes for an amazing wildflower season. Meg Quinn’s enduring favorite, Wildflowers of the Desert Southwest, highlights eighty color-coded desert area wildflowers in a slim, affordable package. If you miss the beauties this year, get a head start on next year!

Speaking of rain, The Sunhat, by author Jennifer Ward and illustrator Stephanie Roth Sisson, is a charming twist to the classic tale, The Mitten. As a sudden monsoon appears, young Rosa’s red hat blows off in the wind and magically accommodates all the desert animals seeking shelter from the summer storm.

And finally, I present the Little Lamb Finger Puppet Book, a simple board book with a finger puppet that stretches through a hole in the middle, and thus through every “page,” because, hey, your cute kid deserves cute things.

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About the Book Authority: Aaron Downey is the managing editor at Rio Nuevo Publishers, a division of Treasure Chest Books. We create compelling, visually exciting, award-winning books about the people, places, and things that make the West so distinctive.