SMALL HANDS CAN HELP! MINNESOTA - Susan Kay Phillips

by Teresa M. Veraguth

Reviewed by Susan Kay Phillips

©️ Teresa M. Veraguth

SMALL HANDS CAN HELP! MINNESOTA is a multilayered ecological adventure. Written by Teresa M. Veraguth and her dedicated team of co-writers and artists, this book is an outstanding resource for families to help them enjoy nature in Minnesota and support sustainable ecological change there.

This book is envisioned to be the first in a series of fifty-one books, one for each state and the District of Columbia. The author states in her introduction that the idea for the series was sparked by a desire to find “…ways to bring families outdoors and foster a love of all things Earth friendly”.

Veraguth introduces readers to a wealth of information by highlighting eight “indicator species” living in the state of Minnesota. The stability and range of these indicator species provide important clues to changes in Minnesota’s natural environment, pointing toward greater ecological balance or toward deterioration of the environment.

Each indicator species is presented as a “who-is-this?” puzzle. A silhouette of the species and some hints are given, setting up a fun page-turner guessing game. The hints include a map of Minnesota showing the counties where the particular species has been seen historically, where it is seen now, and where it has never been seen within the state. The pages that follow reveal the identity of the species and a wealth of information about its habits, history, and importance in the ecosystem.

SMALL HANDS CAN HELP! MINNESOTA is very kid friendly. It overflows with a variety of ways to present information, keeping learning fun. There are the informational pages, the beautiful and memorable graphic of the state of Minnesota, poetry, gorgeous art, and QR codes.

For each indicator species there is a special section on its page entitled “Little Things Small Hands Can Do To Make a Big Difference”. In this section, QR codes are used to enhance knowledge about the indicator species and carry learning forward, widening the connection to the environment. A particularly captivating QR experience is found on the page featuring the Common Loon. There are four QR codes given, offering a chance to hear each of the loon’s specialized calls. All the QR links suggested in the book are vetted to be family safe.

On the page dedicated to the Common Loon there is also this poem referencing the importance of reducing light pollution:

Remove a light Dark SKIES are habitat

Remove a light We need to mitigate

Birds need STARS To help them navigate

©️ Teresa M. Veraguth

Further emphasis is given to importance of reducing light pollution by offering QR codes linking to Dark Sky International’s web page http://darksky.org/ and to the Starry Skies North web page http://starryskiesnorth.org/.

SMALL HANDS CAN HELP! MINNESOTA is a treasure trove of information that can be enjoyed by readers of all age levels — children, teenagers, and adults. Veraguth’s book sends the positive message loud and clear that ALL of us can do something, however small, to help preserve and enhance the natural world. SMALL HANDS CAN HELP! MINNESOTA gives many tools to help the environment and overflows with excitement about enjoying the natural world in Minnesota. Highly recommended.

SMALL HANDS CAN HELP! MINNESOTA can be found in Minnesota libraries through MNLINK https://mnlink.org and purchased at the following locations:

Available in paperback, online (scan QR code) or at the locations listed below:

Reviewer’s Note

I was able to interview Teresa Veraguth regarding her work in developing her book. Below are her answers to my interview questions.

1. What was the inspiration for your book, SMALL HANDS CAN HELP! MINNESOTA, and the series that you have planned?

My inspiration came from my childhood. I grew up on a farm and large amounts of my happy time was spent in the woods. I wanted to find a way to bring this same joy to families and kids today. Not everyone has 400 acres to play in, but there are wild places that we can still get lost in.

The state of Minnesota has incredible natural beauty and a bounty of locations that qualify as wilderness. We take great pride in our lakes, loons, walleye, and Northwoods. I hope to instill a passion in others to enjoy every bird and snail along the way. If this book and future books lead people to find life-long adventures among the leaves, trees, bugs and birds, then we have done our job. I hope people on the trail stop to share exciting finds with each other. I hope the books create a happy hunger and a wanderlust for the smell of the dirt, the sound of the warbler and the giggly joy of seeing a trout jump upstream and maybe even up a waterfall!

2. How did you bring together your writing and illustrating team?

I knew I could not do this project alone. The Creator put the idea for these books into my head, then helped me realize that I already had a talented group of family and friends, with a similar passion. It is the volunteers who blessed this effort, that make it incredibly unique. It is their wealth of knowledge, experience, talent and willingness to share all of it, that made this first book possible. It has set a precedent that is already being repeated by people who do not know who I am, but want to be a part of this journey. Each book will have a team of local volunteers who will help define the right indicators for the location it will represent.

3. Is there anything in particular you hope readers will take away from reading your book?

The message I bring, is that by taking care of the Earth we are also taking care of ourselves. We need to protect it, defend it and work together to maintain it. I hope that readers realize the Earth is not only beautiful, breath taking, and awe-inspiring but also life-giving, mental health protecting and that none of us can survive without ALL of it. Nature and people are intertwined. We are all one. There is a song by John Denver, called, “Amazon (Let This be a Voice)”, whose lyrics play over and over in my head. Here is a QR code to “Amazon (Let This be a Voice)” by John Denver.

Music video by John Denver performing Amazon (from The Wildlife Concert). (P) 1995 Sony Music Entertainment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OLQkdD7nhc

4. What is the most memorable feedback that you’ve gotten about your book from a reader?

The best feedback actually came from a group of kindergartners. In the middle of the first chapter, I scanned the QR code for the Blanchard’s Cricket Frog. This frog, doesn’t croak like a frog, it clicks, like a cricket, hence the name. I let the kids listen to the clicking frog. It is a sound only code. There is no video, just a black screen. You could have heard a pin drop in that room. Every ear was cocked and listening. I could see their imaginations’ firing up as they began to picture what this little hopper looked like, from its sound. They begged me to play it over and over again. They loved it. For me, it was the absolute perfect reaction. It was exactly what I had hoped it would be, and the affirmation, made me cry. It had brought wonder, awe and joy. Kindergartners cannot hide those feelings …and we were just getting started.

5. Do you have any unique writing superpowers or strategies?

The only superpowers I have are the ones provided by my team, but my strategy goes like this… I write from my heart, I pray for the right words to get the meaning across without losing the audience and then I have my proofer help me massage out the kinks.

6. Where can people purchase a copy of your book?

Please see above a list of stores where the book can be purchased or scan one of the 3 QR codes that lead to either the Minnesota Library system or an online retailer.

7. Is there anything else you would like to share?

The creation process of this book has brought one miracle after another into my life. One example of this would be, during the course of the last year I have become an iNaturalist Ambassador and have begun doing deeper presentations into how to have some fun with this app. If anyone is interested in a book presentation, followed up with an iNaturalist tutorial, guided nature walk, Bioblitz or an ID Session, please connect with me via email: veraguthclan@gmail.com

As always, thank you for reading!

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