Awards
About the Series
Bringing National Parks to Life is a children’s book series about endangered animals, national parks, and the ecosystems they call home. These national park children’s books teach kids about wildlife, habitats, and conservation, blending storytelling, science, and hands-on learning. Each story encourages curiosity, fosters empathy for animals, and helps young readers understand the importance of protecting our natural world.
Storytelling, Science, and Conservation for Kids
By Adalgisa + David Nico
Hello Wilderness Explorers!
Get ready to explore the Bringing National Parks to Life series. Each book takes you on an adventure through a different national park, where you will meet an endangered animal and see how it lives in its natural habitat. From the tiny desert pupfish to the secretive fisher in the forest, every creature has a story to tell.
These books demonstrate how animals, plants, and people all rely on one another. Through fun stories and beautiful illustrations, you will learn about habitats, food webs, adaptations, and why it is vital to protect our parks and wildlife.
We hope these stories spark your curiosity and make you feel like an explorer, a scientist, and a helper of the natural world. Your adventure is just beginning, and you are part of the story.
Discover. Connect. Protect
Classroom Benefits
Bringing National Parks to Life is an award-winning children’s book series about endangered animals, national parks, and ecosystems that blends storytelling, science, and conservation. Each book takes readers on a journey through a national park to meet an endangered species and learn about its survival in its natural habitat. The series aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards for grades K–5, helping students understand adaptations, food webs, biodiversity, and the impact of human actions on ecosystems.
The authors demonstrate how animals, plants, and their environments are interconnected, highlighting how the presence or absence of a single species can significantly impact an entire ecosystem. Engaging text and vivid, detailed illustrations make these scientific ideas clear, memorable, and enjoyable for young readers. The back matter provides additional information about national parks and the featured species, making these books valuable in both home and classroom settings.
Classroom Benefits
Fits NGSS Life Science for grades K–5
Builds vocabulary, reading comprehension, and science knowledge
Encourages observation, problem-solving, and conservation
The first book in the Bringing National Parks to Life series, Fish in the Desert: The Untold Story of the Death Valley Pupfish, introduces readers to one of the smallest endangered fish species and the unique desert habitat it depends on. Each illustration complements the text, helping children visualize key scientific ideas while sparking curiosity and a sense of wonder about the natural world. Every book in the series continues this approach, inspiring young readers to explore, learn, and care for our planet.
Expert Reviews of Bringing National Parks to Life
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"Frogs on the Mountain is a story and lesson rolled into one. This book weaves a tale, with relatively complex biological structure, in a manner that is clear and easy to follow. Adele finds her own curiosity for nature taking her down a path of continued discovery, and ultimately understanding through subtle education. The illustrations help the reader to discover and learn more than they realize, as they see depictions and the actual names of species and their habitats. This book adds a little surprise near it’s end to re-challenge the readers to find, discover, and learn even more. Frogs of the Mountain is a great example of a children’s book that can challenge readers, while being both entertaining, and a pleasure for the eye. "
-Jeff Alvarez, wildlife biologist
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"Adalgisa and David Nico's wonderful Fish in the Desert: The Untold Story of the Death Valley Pupfish accomplishes the magic triumvirate of a children's book-it is at once entertaining, educational, and inspiring for both children and adults. The lovely illustrations by Andy Atkins perfectly complement the story. Altogether, it made me want to leave for Death Valley tomorrow to admire these sturdy little fish in person. This is a book that could be read to five to seven-year-old children, be read by eight to twelve-year-olds, and enjoyed by adults. I certainly enjoyed it, and visiting the desert pupfish is now much higher on my to-do travel list."
-Jonathan Hanson, naturalist and author of Victor, the Reluctant Vulture
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"My hope is that this engaging story, along with its colorful and accurate illustrations, will inspire children to love pupfish and thus nature itself. For it is love that creates the passion to advocate for rare species and a healthy environment."
-Lara Oles, former biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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"As an evolutionary biologist, a writer, and an avid fisherman, I was really impressed. This book taught me new things about places and topics that I know pretty well. The book has beautiful illustrations to guide us through the story of the pupfish, weaving the narrative of the natural history of this little fish into a tapestry of geology and biodiversity for the area. I'm impressed by how the authors use an uncomplicated tale of a young girl to explain so much, so easily, and so beautifully. I don't usually come away from a kids book and feel like I learned something, but The Untold Story of the Pupfish taught me new things about a place that I feel that I know as well as my own backyard."
-Paul Daniel, evolutionary biologist
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"This book checks all the important boxes. Great illustrations! (I even had to stop to admire the lovely endpapers.)There's a child, an adventure, a helpful adult, and TONS of fascinating ANIMALS and INFORMATION. It doesn't get better than that. And it's a lovely touch to come back to Adele's "resilience" at the end—full circles are good.The text is informative, you don't "dumb down" the important info—but provide a valuable glossary at the back.I love the things at the back—especially the challenge to find the animals, which is another excellent way to pull the reader into the experience. A+"
-Sandra Cutuli, retired children's librarian
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"Frogs on the Mountain is a delightful story that weaves science education about the endangered mountain yellow-legged frog and our experiences connecting to nature. I love the illustrations; they are so beautiful, vibrant, and detailed. Having worked with the mountain yellow-legged frog conservation it’s great to see such an important species being brought to light, especially in a children’s book. I think books like this reinforce how significant nature is and the impact of our choices as humans. The book explains scientific concepts very simply and provides definitions, making it worthwhile for kids and adults alike to learn together. I appreciate how the story ends on a positive note, explaining the conservation effort that is being done to save the frog. "
-Adrianna Elihu, wildlife biologist
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