About the story

This is a story I wrote about the animals who live in Stanley Park in the beautiful city of Vancouver. Sammy Squirrel and Rodney Raccoon, best friends, go on an adventure to see what life is like beyond the park and end up going farther than they ever imagined possible. Sharing the adventure with courage and ingenuity...they finally come to a new realization about the world they inhabit. For ages 7 - 11 years. (105 pages)

Farewell Serenade to the Hollow Tree

On Thursday, April 17, I accompanied a class of Grade 4/5 students and their teacher to sing the song from my book as a way to say good-bye to the old hollow tree in Stanley Park, which will soon be removed. The old tree is known in my story as "Old Hollow Hall" the meeting place of the animals - kind of like their city hall. The children sang "O'Stanley Park" beautifully, the sun shone and we all had fun. Click below to view.

Oh, Stanley Park song (to the tune of O'Canada)

Oh, Stanley Park
Our home and favourite land
Big Douglas firs
Where owls hoot, oh so grand
With cedar trees
And surrounding seas
You can walk there all you like
There's a little lake
Where the beavers make
The best dams in the world
Oh, Stanley Park
The animals live free
Oh, Stanley Park
Was made for you and me
Oh, Stanley Park
Was made for you--and--me.

New book signings and events for April/May 2008

1. April 16, 2008 (Wednesday) 3:50m pm

Interview with CBC Radio's "On the Coast"

2. April 27, 2008 (Sunday) 1 pm to 3 pm

Chapters Books at Pinetree Village Mall, Coquitlam: Book signing

3. May 3, 2008 (Saturday) 1 pm to 3 pm

Blackbond Books at Guilford Mall, Surrey: Book signing

4. May 10, 2008 (Saturday) 1 pm - 3 pm

Kidsbooks on Broadway, Vancouver: Book signing

5. May 17, 2008 (Saturday) 1 pm to 3 pm

Chapters Books at Richport Town Centre, Richmond: Book signing

6. May 24, 2008 (Saturday) 1 pm - 3 pm

The Book Company, Oakridge Mall, Vancouver: Book signing

7. May 31, 2008 (Saturday) 1 pm - 3 pm

Indigo Books in North Vancouver: Book signing

8. June 7, 2008 (Saturday) 11 am - 1:30 pm

Indigo Books, West Vancouver: Reading and Book signing

9. June 21, 2008 (Saturday) 1 pm - 3 pm

Blackberry Books on Granville Island in Vancouver: Signing

Book Signings and Events for March 2008

1. March 1, 2008 (Saturday) 11:30 am - 2 pm

Indigo Books, West Vancouver: Reading and book signing

2. March 8, 2008 (Saturday) 2 pm - 4 pm

Indigo Books, North Vancouver: Book signing

3. March 15, 2008 (Saturday) 1 pm - 4 pm

Chapters Books, Oakridge Mall, Vancouver: Book signing

4. March 16, 2008 (Sunday) 2 pm - 4 pm

Chapters Books, Granville & Broadway, Vancouver: Reading and book signing

5. March 21, 2008 (Friday) 2 pm - 4 pm

Indigo Books, West Vancouver: Reading and book signing

6. March 22, 2008 (Saturday) 10 am - 12 pm

Kidsbooks on Broadway: Book signing

7. March 22, 2008 (Saturday) 1 pm - 3 pm

Chapters Books, Metrotown, Burnaby: Book signing

8. March 29, 2008 (Saturday) 1 pm - 3 pm

Chapters Books, Robson & Howe: Book signing

An excerpt from the story

Chapter One - The Surprisingly Dangerous Nut Haul


Sammy Squirrel awoke to the sound of a long, deep howl and leapt out of bed. Rushing to the window, he looked out to see what had made such a terrible noise. The large branches of his giant fir tree swooshed and swayed in every direction. It was the wind - a clear sign that winter would arrive soon in Stanley Park.

Oh dear, he muttered to himself, I'd better finish my nut gathering before any snow falls. He'd always felt this was a wonderful way to spend a late autumn day. But on this morning it was raining "people and pets," as the old animal saying goes. And that would make going on a nut haul an unpleasant task for any squirrel, even a good-natured, hardworking one like Sammy.

After a delicious breakfast of roasted acorns and green leaf tea, Sammy hurriedly dressed in his green rain hat and coat, grabbed his favourite green umbrella, and scurried towards the door. He stopped for a moment to admire himself in the hallway mirror.

Oh, I love green things! Evergreen, forest green anything green! And I do look good in green, too - somewhat like a little green shrub, come to think of it.

Full of admiration for the stylish reflection he had seen in the mirror, Sammy opened the door and peered out. Wriggling his nose, he sniffed the air as a quick safety check, for he never knew if an unfriendly hawk might be lurking in the treetops at this time of day. Satisfied there was no sign of danger from the animal world, he hurried down the tree and headed along the winding trail in his fancy "green shrub" attire.

He paused before crossing a path because people and pets could show up unexpectedly almost anywhere these days. He'd heard stories about them suddenly dashing around with a great commotion that scared the wits out of everyone.

Very rude and dangerous behaviour, he thought.

There was a time when people and pets frequented only the outskirts of this enormous park by the Great Ocean. The sounds of their comings and goings along the seawall path had been a distant murmur that existed in a very different world. But that had all changed. Now a multitude of people and pets invaded the wild animal world and posed a new danger that every animal in the park had to be wary of.

Stopping in front of a gigantic fir tree near the entrance to Beaver Lake Trail, Samuel tried to remember where he had buried his last nut haul.

Was it right here at the base of the tree or up between those two large roots over there? he muttered to himself, not wishing to attract any attention, and certainly not wanting anyone to see him in this predicament. After all, a squirrel unable to find his nut haul - what would the other animals say? Surely they would laugh uproariously.

Think, squirrel, think, he murmured to himself. Ah, it must be at the fork between the large tree roots.

Now that the rain had stopped, he put down his green umbrella and took out his small shovel. Gripping it in his left paw (for he was a left-pawed squirrel and proud of it), he began digging...and digging and digging and digging...trying a little to the left, a little to the right, then a little more toward the tree, then a little more away from the tree. Nothing. No nut haul.

Staring at the ground before him, he mumbled to himself, left...no...right... no...up there...no...back here...Samuel didn't notice the small group of animals who had, one by one, gathered a short distance away from him to watch. Squirty Skunk was the first to speak.

"Good morning, Sammy Squirrel," he said in rather loud voice. Startled, Sammy jumped in the air, dropped his shovel and landed flat on his bottom. All the animals laughed at the sight.

"Well, you might have let me know you were there with a little more animal-like civility," Samuel replied abruptly, looking away from the other animals while he regained his composure and brushed off his lovely green raincoat.

"Yes, I suppose we could have, but you seemed to be searching for something so desperately that we were all caught up in the drama of it," replied Dolores Duck, who had waddled over from the lake in response to the strange sounds coming from what looked like a green shrub hopping around the base of the big fir tree. Knowing full well that shrubs are not the hopping type due to their firmly planted roots, Dolores had become extremely curious.

"It is rude to just stand and gawk," said Dolores, "but discovering it was you in such a frenzy, why, I was just quackless!"

"I thought you were some strange shrub from a distance too," said Benjamin Beaver. "Like Dolores, I was quite overcome at the sight of a leaping little green bush and simply had to investigate. Then to find you, Samuel Squirrel, digging so furiously. Well!"

"Yes, furiously, furiously, furiously!" squeaked the field mice in unison.

"What in the world were you hopping around for?" enquired Renee Rabbit. "You looked like a small green rabbit for a moment, but I know you couldn't be a rabbit, because rabbits can be many colours, but never green," she laughed.

Sammy Squirrel was not laughing, however. If anything, he was somewhat embarrassed. "Well, if you must know, I'm on a nut haul. In case you haven't noticed, winter will be here soon, and I for one plan to be prepared for it," he stated confidently. Raising his head high, he planted the tip of his shovel in the ground and coolly looked around at the small group of animals in front of him.

Before anyone could say another word, they heard a furious fluttering of wings from high above them. Penelope Pigeon, an unusual sight in this part of the park, swooped overhead and yelled down to them, "People and pets, people and pets! Quickly, everyone, run to your homes!"

At the very mention of the first "P" word, all the animals went into a terrible panic. Dolores and Benjamin turned and ran to the lake; Squirty scurried into the woods; Renee jumped into the dense grass; and the field mice scattered in all directions. Everyone ran as fast as they could.

Samuel started to scamper up the trunk of the nearest enormous fir tree. But in his rush to escape, he left his pocket shovel on the ground.

"Oh, no" he cried out. "I've left my shovel!" Down the tree he scrambled and grabbed it, but by this time two very large shadows had invaded the animal world. It was too late for Sammy to scurry back up the tree. Running toward Beaver Lake was useless because he didn't know how to swim, and running toward the woods would only attract attention. So he turned his back to the shadows and stood very still, although he couldn't stop trembling with fear.

Now he could clearly see the large shadows that passed nearby - one tall and thin, the other low and long. They moved very quickly, perhaps running, which seemed to be the custom of these large creatures.

Oh, if only I could stop shaking, he thought, then they wouldn't notice me. But no matter how he tried, he kept on quivering. The large shadow appeared to move away, while the smaller one turned in his direction, slowed down and sniffed the air. Suddenly, it started to growl right in the direction of Sammy Squirrel!

"What is it, Duke?" a booming voice said. "Come on, now, let's finish our run. There's nothing there. It's only the wind rustling the small bushes and trees. You're imagining things."

I'm a rustling bush, a rustling bush, a rustling bush, Sammy frantically repeated to himself over and over.

And a rustling bush he did appear to be! With one sharp tug from the larger shadow and a yelp from the smaller one, the two were off down the trail as quickly as they had come.

Sammy, however, didn't move. For the longest time he was glued to the spot, his whole body shaking. Finally, when the trembling stopped, he turned his head slowly toward the trail. He could still see the two fast-moving figures across the lake. They disappeared down the wide trail that led to the outskirts of the park near the Great Ocean. Sammy was safe.

Dolores Duck appeared at the edge of Beaver Lake but didn't dare step out of the water. "Sammy, Sammy, are you all right?" she asked in a high-pitched quack.

"I...I...yes, I...I think so," he faintly replied.

"Oh, Sammy, did you hear them? They thought you were a little green shrub, like we did! Oh, how lucky you are!"

Yes, the green rain hat and green raincoat had done it, he thought. Green was more than just his favourite colour, green had a different meaning for him now. He was alive. Green had saved him. No, greenery had saved him! The trees, the bushes, the shrubs, the grass. Sammy felt grateful to them all.

How odd, he thought, I owe my life to them. I owe my life to greenery.

"Go home now and rest, Sammy," Dolores said. "You've had an awful scare. Finish your nut gathering another day." Sammy nodded weakly, turned away and walked down the winding trail back to his tree, deep in the heart of the woods. Now and again he looked around and exclaimed to no one in particular, "Greenery, greenery, oh, thank you, dear greenery!"