For as long as people have told stories, the voyage of discovery has been a major theme. Storytellers have had animals stand in for humans since at least the time of Aesop. Young readers may recognize themselves in Lester, a turtle who just had to find things out for himself.

Gregory Smith, a keen observer of nature and a student of literature, has always been fond of animals in the wild. He hopes this little book is a worthy successor to the great tradition of letting animals tell human stories.