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When Beavers Flew

An Incredible True Story of Rescue and Relocation

Author Kristen Tracy
Illustrated by Luisa Uribe
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Hardcover
$18.99 US
RH Childrens Books | Random House Studio
On sale Jul 23, 2024 | 40 Pages | 9780593647523
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This fascinating picture book tells the unique, quirky, and true story of how one man in Idaho saved 76 beavers from destroying a town by parachuting them into uninhabited wetlands.

In 1948, the town of McCall, Idaho was growing rapidly. World War II was over, and the little town tucked away in the mountains began to boom. There was only one problem. As the town expanded, they found beavers everywhere. A beaver here, a beaver there, and it didn’t take long to realize that humans and beavers weren’t great cohabitators. But one clever and resourceful Fish and Game Warden named Elmo Heter had an idea.

Heter knew that the beavers were integral to the wetlands, so keeping the well-being of the beavers in mind he set out to find a way to relocate them. After a few failed attempts, he finally landed on a wild idea… parachutes. Using a surplus of parachutes left over from WWII and creating a special box with air holes designed to pop open when it hit the ground, Heter devised a way to parachute the beavers into Idaho’s backcountry, an area that beavers hadn’t inhabited in decades.

Kirsten Tracy’s fascinating and playful nonfiction text pairs beautifully with Luisa Uribe’s detailed illustrations to bring this compelling true story to life.
  • NOMINEE | 2026
    Kentucky Bluegrass Award
Kristen Tracy has written twelve novels for young adults and young readers, including Lost It, Camille McPhee Fell Under the Bus, Hung Up, and Project Unpopular. She won the Emily Dickinson First Book Award from the Poetry Foundation for her collection Half-Hazard. Visit her online at kristentracy.com, and follow her on Twitter @kristen_tracy. View titles by Kristen Tracy
Luisa Uribe is an illustrator living in Bogotá, Colombia. She was the 2018 recipient of the Society of Illustrators Dilys Evans Founder’s Award for The Vast Wonder of the World (Millbrook Press, Lerner Publishing Group), and has illustrated titles with HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, Albert Whitman, and many others. Her art has been featured in Iberoamérica Ilustra, a catalog showcasing the best work by Spanish-speaking illustrators. Luisa’s primary passion is children’s books, although she is regularly inspired by the world around her and seeks ways to include these observations in her illustrations. View titles by Luisa Uribe

About

This fascinating picture book tells the unique, quirky, and true story of how one man in Idaho saved 76 beavers from destroying a town by parachuting them into uninhabited wetlands.

In 1948, the town of McCall, Idaho was growing rapidly. World War II was over, and the little town tucked away in the mountains began to boom. There was only one problem. As the town expanded, they found beavers everywhere. A beaver here, a beaver there, and it didn’t take long to realize that humans and beavers weren’t great cohabitators. But one clever and resourceful Fish and Game Warden named Elmo Heter had an idea.

Heter knew that the beavers were integral to the wetlands, so keeping the well-being of the beavers in mind he set out to find a way to relocate them. After a few failed attempts, he finally landed on a wild idea… parachutes. Using a surplus of parachutes left over from WWII and creating a special box with air holes designed to pop open when it hit the ground, Heter devised a way to parachute the beavers into Idaho’s backcountry, an area that beavers hadn’t inhabited in decades.

Kirsten Tracy’s fascinating and playful nonfiction text pairs beautifully with Luisa Uribe’s detailed illustrations to bring this compelling true story to life.

Awards

  • NOMINEE | 2026
    Kentucky Bluegrass Award

Author

Kristen Tracy has written twelve novels for young adults and young readers, including Lost It, Camille McPhee Fell Under the Bus, Hung Up, and Project Unpopular. She won the Emily Dickinson First Book Award from the Poetry Foundation for her collection Half-Hazard. Visit her online at kristentracy.com, and follow her on Twitter @kristen_tracy. View titles by Kristen Tracy
Luisa Uribe is an illustrator living in Bogotá, Colombia. She was the 2018 recipient of the Society of Illustrators Dilys Evans Founder’s Award for The Vast Wonder of the World (Millbrook Press, Lerner Publishing Group), and has illustrated titles with HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, Albert Whitman, and many others. Her art has been featured in Iberoamérica Ilustra, a catalog showcasing the best work by Spanish-speaking illustrators. Luisa’s primary passion is children’s books, although she is regularly inspired by the world around her and seeks ways to include these observations in her illustrations. View titles by Luisa Uribe

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