Louise Doak Whitney - C Is for Centennial: A Colorado Alphabet

A Colorado Alphabet

Written by Louise Doak Whitney and Illustrated by Helle Urban

Gleaves, this book is for you.
You were dreaming of Colorado and I was dreaming of you!
For Ian, Alasdair, and AndrewDream of the
mountains, boys, and reach for the sky!
I will love you all forever.

For my parents, Bob and Martha,
they dreamed of Colorado and made it home.
May you rest in peacedream now with each other again.

Thank you, Heather Hughes and Sleeping Bear Press.

LOUISE DOAK WHITNEY

To my loving husband and my darling daughter Amber,
thank you for your love and support.
Thank you, Heather Hughes and Sleeping Bear Press,
for the opportunity to illustrate this book.
It was a pleasure to do!

HELLE URBAN

C is for Centennial
A Colorado Alphabet

Colorado is home to a wide range of natural wonders, from its Rocky Mountain peaks to its sand dunes.

Author Louise Doak Whitney gives young readers an A-Z nugget of information with her quick rhymes.

O is for O Beautiful
for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain.
Katharine saw it all before her
above the fruited plain.

Longer expository passages let older readers sift through a gold mine of interesting facts. Artist Hell e Urbans richly detailed paintings provide a masterful backdrop, showcasing Colorados visual treasures.

From Denver, the Mile High City, to the prehistoric Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, C is for Centennial invites readers to come meet the places, spaces, and faces that make Colorado unique.

Louise Doak Whitney was born and raised in Colorado along the Front Range. A graduate of the University of Colorado and Colorado State University, she is a registered dietitian, college teacher, and wellness educator. Louise now makes her home in Michigan with her husband, three sons, two dogs, guinea pigs, and fish. At night, she often finds herself dreaming of her home state. She was inspired to write this book to share her deep and abiding love of the mountains and plains with young Coloradans.

Helle Urban, a Parker, Colorado resident, has been an illustrator for over 20 years. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in illustration from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. Helle has illustrated numerous childrens books, painted portraits of families, and was a background artist in the animation industry. Helles work has also been displayed in numerous galleries. Her wide range of artistic experiences reflects in her work. I am always exploring new challenges for creative growth. Helle gives credit to God for her artistic talent as well as her inspiration for her work.

The land above the trees, or the alpine zone, is the highest mountain land in Colorado. Since much of its land is alpine, Colorado has the highest mean elevation of any state. In fact 75% of the land in America that is over 10,000 feet is in Colorado! The plants and animals that live in the alpine zone are tough and sturdy. They have adapted to high winds, a short growing season, and the cold temperatures of the alpine life zone. If you hike above the trees, you may see a little pika scampering among the rocks and boulders. Pikas are small animals that are related to rabbits.

A is also for aquamarine, the Colorado state gem. Ranging from bright blue to pale blue and deep aquamarine green in color, it can be found in the mountains.

A is also for the city of Aspen. Before it was home to skiing, Aspen was a silver mining camp. The largest silver nugget ever mined in North America was found in Aspen. It weighed 1,840 pounds, the size of a small car. In 1936, the Highlands Bavarian ski resort started the first downhill ski run in Colorado, charging people a dime to ride the lift.

Tiny flowers and lichen cling to life on peaks soaring high.

A is for Alpine high, bright, and clear cold land between tree and sky.

The Colorado blue spruce is a beautiful tree that was first named on Pikes Peak in 1862. It is an evergreen tree, which means it never loses its foliage. Its blue green color is caused by the presence of waxes on the needles. It is a popular tree and prized all over the world.

B is also for Buffalo Bill (William Frederick Cody, 18461917). He was one of the Wild Wests most colorful characters and folk heroes. His many careers included Pony Express rider, scout, and buffalo hunter, and his grave is on Lookout Mountain just west of Denver.

Bis for Blue spruce, Colorados state tree.

It blankets the mountains with bluegreen majesty.

Colorado is known as the Centennial State because it became the 38th state in 1876100 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed. Did you know that the name Colorado means colored red? The Spanish gave the name to the Colorado River, which flows through canyons of red stone. Many of the rocks and much of the soil in Colorado are red.

C is also for the colors of the state flag. It can be said that the blue, red, white, and gold colors of the state flag symbolize certain natural wonders: gold for sunshine; white for the states snow capped mountains; red for the color of the earth; and blue for Colorados clear blue skies.

Cis for Colorado, the colorful, Centennial State.

We have high mountains and broad plains and a history that makes us great.

The tallest sand dunes in America are found at the Great Sand Dunes National Monument and Preserve. The dunes can reach 700 feet and stand in the shadow of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. At night you might hear the coyotes talking to each other and in the early morning you might see pronghorn antelope grazing.

From rock and wind and water come Dunes for the letter D.

Shifting sands to climb and explore, the Great Sand Dunes you must see!

There are 54 mountains in Colorado that are over 14,000 feet above sea level. Some people have climbed them all! There are more than 1,000 peaks over 10,000 feet high.

E is also for Enos Mills, who is known as the Father of Rocky Mountain National Park. Enos was a naturalist who persuaded Congress to establish Rocky Mountain National Park in 1915. This park is the most popular tourist spot in Colorado. Here you can hike the trails and look for wildlife such as deer, elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, bald eagles, marmots, and black bear.