Everyone loves a banana slug! Grab one of these charming yellow Banana Slug pencils for your next sketching session or your math homework. Designed locally by a State Parks Interpreter!
Shark Beach Towel
You’ll always be able to find your spot on the beach with this bright, multicolored shark beach towel!
Also available at the Seacliff State Beach Parkstore.
Kids Otter Socks
A perfectly adorable pair of socks for the pup in your life. Designed locally in Santa Cruz, CA!
Available in sizes 2-4 years and 4-7 years. 59% Cotton, 39% Nylon, 2% Spandex
Kids Butterfly Socks
These adorable butterfly socks are perfect for the young entomologist in your life. Designed locally in Santa Cruz, CA!
Available in sizes 2-4 years and 4-7 years. 65% Cotton, 33% Nylon, 2% Spandex.
When the Mission Bells Rang by Dr. Judith Scott
This imagined fable is a great introduction to the California Mission era, and was written in consultation with the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band. It tells the story of the Council of the Animals, including a mountain lion, a hummingbird, a bear, and a sparrow, and their struggle against the Mission bells that have disrupted their habitat and way of life.
Dr. Judith Scott is an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation. She is a retired Professor from the Education Department of the University of California, Santa Cruz where she taught literacy courses and multicultural children’s literature for over twenty years.
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Dr. Daisy Martin, Director of the University of California History and Civics Project:
Teachers, parents and students will want to read this book again and again. The story is engaging and dramatic and embeds powerful concepts such as community, agency, and resistance. It is an allegory of sorts–providing a developmentally appropriate way to learn and investigate the history of the Missions from a long-silenced indigenous perspective. And background knowledge! And Mutsun words! The possibilities for using this book in elementary classrooms abound.
Hannah Moreno, Amah Mutsun Tribal Band Member and 2nd grade teacher:
As Amah Mutsun, it is our moral duty to take care of Mother Earth and to honor all living things. When the Mission Bells Rang demonstrates our relationship with all living things through a story of teamwork and resilience. I really appreciate how this book incorporates our language and shares the history of the missions from an indigenous perspective.
Amah Mutsun Tribal Band Chair, Valentin Lopez:
When the Mission Bells Rang is a beautiful book written from the voice of our Mutsun animal relatives. It shows that, when the Catholic missions came to California, it was horribly disruptive to the indigenous peoples and our animal relatives. The book also shows the resilience that allows us to survive to this day.
Martin Rizzo-Martinez, author of We Are Not Animals:
Got my copy of this beautiful new children’s book, When the Mission Bells Rang, written in consultation w/ the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band. Includes the Mutsun names of local animals & their reactions to the mission bells. (Twitter)
Kids T-Shirt – Wilder Ranch Green
Printed locally in Santa Cruz, CA! Show your love for Wilder Ranch State Park with this kids’ t-shirt, featuring the iconic artwork of Michael Schwab. Sizes small to XL available.
Coyote at the Big Time 123
The follow-up to Heyday’s bestselling, A is for Acorn, Coyote at the Big Time 123 takes young readers to a Native California with Coyote as their guide. Counting from one clapper stick up to ten stars twinkling above the gathering, Coyote explores indigenous cultural traditions, including songs, dances, hand games, art and, of course, delicious food. Lyn Risling’s beautiful illustrations depict the diversity of traditions that continue to thrive throughout the state. At once a fun introduction to numbers and a celebration of community, this lively counting book shows babies and toddlers how to take in the beautiful world around them.