One burrow. Seven animals. One impossible truce.
In the Florida flatwoods, wildfire isn't a disaster. It's a season. And for the animals that live there, a gopher tortoise burrow is the safest place on earth when the flames arrive.
In this narrative nonfiction picture book, six Florida wildlife species, each a real animal with real fire-adapted behaviors, find their way to one ancient burrow. Florida Mouse. Indigo Snake. Bobcat. Marsh Rabbit. Gopher Frog. Armadillo. None of them are friends. Some of them are enemies. But Gopher Tortoise has seen this before, and he knows what it takes to survive.
"No hunter, no hunted while danger is near."
His repeated refrain sets the terms of the truce, and readers will root for every animal to hold to it as smoke fills the sky and fire crackles through the pine trees overhead.
Perfect for:
- Nature-loving kids ages 5 to 9
- Classroom read-alouds on ecosystems, fire ecology, and animal adaptations
- Florida wildlife units and science curriculum
- Readers who love books like those from the Scientists in the Field series or narrative nonfiction animal stories
The book includes a lesson about fire ecology for kids in grades K-8. You can keep the learning and the fun going as your students learn more about the role of fire in the environment, what happens after a fire, and how some plants need the fire in order to survive.
The Fire Truce brings fire ecology to life through character, conflict, and a burrow full of unlikely neighbors. Grab your copy today.
