Molly is a singing crayfish in the Great Smoky Mountains, and she has a big dream: to make a record.
With her ragtag band that includes three madtoms on drums, a piano-playing tangerine darter, a bullfrog on banjo, and a fishing spider on guitar, Molly's dream may come true. But when a mysterious stranger with a bad reputation appears just as they're about to make their record, Molly's plans could take an unfortunate turn…
This charming early reader, written by Morgan Simmons and illustrated by Don Wood, also includes a glossary of facts about aquatic life in the Smokies. Themes include friendship, music, teamwork, survival, growth and adolescence, the natural world, and the Great Smoky Mountains.
Morgan Simmons is the former outdoor editor for the Knoxville News Sentinel and winner the Tennessee Outdoor Writer of the Year award for seven consecutive years. Over the course of his 28-year career, he covered environmental issues and wrote a hiking column that enabled him to explore the Smokies, become familiar with the challenges facing the park, and report extensively on GSMA and its various projects. He grew up in Martinsville, VA, and graduated from Washington and Lee University with a degree in English. After completing the National Outdoor Leadership School’s instructor’s course in the mid-1980s, Morgan settled briefly in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming before returning home to the Southern Appalachians to pursue writing, raise a family, and learn the banjo. Singing Creek is Simmons's first book. Morgan Simmons lives near Knoxville, Tennessee.
Don Wood is an illustrator whose career spans 30 years at the Knoxville Journal, the Press-Enterprise (CA), and the Knoxville News Sentinel, earning him recognition on both local and national levels including induction into the Scripps Howard Hall of Fame. His work has been published in the Orange County Register (CA), Nashville Scene, Greater Knoxville Business Journal, the Associated Press, and Smokies Life. A Knoxville native and graduate of the University of Tennessee, Don is now a freelance illustrator and enjoys painting, playing music with his friends, and spending time with his family. The Smoky Mountains have always been a favorite spot for him, whether hiking trails, fishing for trout, or camping. Singing Creek is Wood's first illustrated title. Don Wood lives near Knoxville, Tennessee.
