In this 48-page book, Maynard presents children ages 8 to 12 a beautifully photographed and illustrated introduction to the history, geology, flora, and fauna of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the park with the highest visitation of any national park.Maynard captures the color and diversity of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, a World Heritage and International Biosphere Research site that is home to more than 2,000 plant and animal species, including more than 1,600 flowering plants, more than 130 tree species, and 30 salamander species. Along with photographs by Ann and Rob Simpson and illustrations by Robert Rath, the book features the park's plants and creatures, large and small, from dainty lady's slipper orchids to mighty tulip poplars, from whiskered river otters to ambling black bears, from delicate fireflies to brightly colored salamanders—including Jordan's red-cheeked salamanders that don't exist anywhere else in the world.