<p/><br></br><p><b> About the Book </b></p></br></br>English Setters, Rusty and Purdy notice that Dottie the Deer has a purple nose and ask her 'Why?' She says it's not purple and goes into the woods! Purdy and Rusty seek help from the backyard birds to solve the mystery. Vibrant photographs on each page help create a "real" story. Glossary in back has information on all the birds in the story.<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><p><strong><em>The Deer with the Purple Nose</em></strong> is about two English Setter dogs, Rusty and Purdy, who solve a mystery. Rusty and Purdy came from "<em>Last Chance Rescue</em>" in Howell, Michigan and enjoy the back yard. Told in the first person by Purdy, the story begins with Dottie the Deer appearing with a <strong>purple nose</strong>. Purdy asks Dottie how her nose became purple. She responds that it is not purple and goes off into the woods. A discussion ensues with Bobby the Blue Jay and Terry the Tufted Titmouse. <em>What's wrong with Dottie?</em> They are interrupted by a cry from Spencer the Sparrow at the birdfeeder with Chip the Chipmunk <strong><em>(a spectacular photograph any photographer would be proud of</em></strong><em>)</em>. Spencer wants Purdy to get the chipmunk off the birdfeeder so he can eat. The story continues with discussions with other birds. Carol the Cardinal provides a clue followed by another clue from Greta the Groundhog. Rusty and Purdy go to the side yard where Rocky the Racoon announces Dottie's arrival at the berry tree. The surprise ending is a delight to children. <strong><em>A fun warning about berry trees and a recipe are a bonus</em></strong><em> (not part of the story).</em></p><p>The book is all photographs with a glossary in back with all ten birds in the story. A bibliography is also provided for teachers and home schoolers who wish additional information on the birds. There is also a "<strong><em>Where the Book Came From</em></strong>" page telling the background story of how the book came about. Reading level is second/third grade and is recommended for reading to young children. It is a good choice for early readers who can be encouraged to find the birds in their own yard. Some people have purchased the hard cover version for their coffee table because of the photography in the book. Others find the ten-bird glossary a big help in identifying common birds in the back yard as opposed to a guide with hundreds of birds to choose from. This book is one of the "Rusty & Purdy Backyard Bird Adventure" books. Each is independent so they are not numbered. A goal of the book is to interest children in the outdoors--birds in particular; and also, to create an interest in reading by having excitement on each turn of the page.</p><p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br><p>We have many good reviews for the hard cover edition. See Goodreads or Amazon for more.</p><p><em>"This is a really cool collection of nature photographs designed to teach children cleverly disguised as a fun mystery book. The photos are gorgeous, really stunning." --The Portsmouth Review</em></p><p><em>"This is a delightful mystery that young children are sure to love. Purdy's solving of the mystery is totally age appropriate and fun. Every page has a wonderful photo that kids will love looking at again and again." --Kid's Mystery Book Reviews</em></p><p>"<em>When I heard about this book full of photographs that's a mystery I was definitely intrigued. And now having read it, I still find it a remarkably clever idea. First off, the photographs are beautiful and arranged in a way to tell the story." </em> <em>--Heidi Grange, Goodreads </em></p><p><em>"This is a fun mystery for young children using actual photographs from nature. A picture book for the most part. Very well done." </em> <em>--R.S. Carter, Goodreads </em></p><p><em>"The Deer with the Purple Nose blends wonderful photography with a heartwarming story of 2 dogs trying to solve the mystery of a deer that somehow ended up with a purple nose. The photos of the various woodland friends the dogs "talk" to are outstanding and the surprise ending is superb." </em> <em>--Michael Terberg, Goodreads</em></p><p><em>"...Every page has a wonderful photo that kids will love looking at again and again. An additional bonus is that kids will learn to identify a variety of birds and animals found in the wild. Plus the author has included a special recipe for . . . you'll have to read the book to find out." </em> <em>--Sharon Brown, Amazon</em></p><p><em>"The book is absolutely beautiful, photographs are stunning. The story is very thoughtful and cute. I love how there's an index in the back identifying each bird. Loved by all ages!" </em> <em>--B. Torrey, Amazon </em></p><p><em>"My 5 & 7 year old daughters enjoyed reading both the Deer with the Purple Nose and Mystery at the Birdfeeder. They enjoyed the clear photography, enjoyable story line, and all of the different birds! I would recommend these books to anyone with young children!" </em> <em>--Marie, Amazon</em></p><p><em>"Oooooooooh - this book is spectacular! Especially for kids who LOVE animals, which my little girl does. A great book for parent and child!" </em> <em>--Mommy2828, Amazon</em></p><p>"The Deer with the Purple Nose is brilliant! The story of how the book came to be is a story inside a story. I can't wait to keep the story going with my grandchildren London and Lincoln." ...Gayle Treece, Project Manager and Grandma</p><p> </p><br>