The author, Dr. Leavitt, a conservationist, is very interested in our national parks, especially Yosemite. As a direct cousin of Herbert Sonn, the first naturalist in Yosemite, he immensely enjoyed doing the research for this book. He has spent his entire life educating both children and adults, teaching science courses as well as workshops in conservation. In addition to teaching he has been a lecturer, author, and researcher. He is the author of twelve books, four of them for children, and has written over one hundred magazine articles. His biography can be found in Who’s Who in America, The London Blue Book, and Men of Science.