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)

This classic, locally-beloved field guide is an excellent resource for the Santa Cruz area. Bring it along on your next hike in the Forest of Nisene Marks, Butano, or Henry Cowell, and see how many plants you can identify!

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This book is a field guide to plants commonly found in the coast redwood forests. Full color photographs of each plant are accompanied by descriptive and informative text. Wildflowers are grouped by color, which helps to simplify identification of the plants. Interesting information regarding edible plants, and the many uses Native Americans made of the plants is also included.

Did you know that California is home to 14 species of owls? If you’ve ever been curious about the mysterious nocturnal raptors in your neighborhood, this book is for you!

This accessible guide, full of intriguing anecdotes, covers all 19 species of owls occurring in North America. More than an identification guide, Field Guide to Owls of California and the West describes the biology and behavior of owls to make finding and identifying them easier and watching them more enjoyable. The guide also explores the conservation challenges that owls face and tells how owls provide insights to scientists working in fields from technology to health.