National Parks Week Books: Ansel Adams: The National Park Service Photographs, Underwater Wonders of the National Parks, Hey Ranger! Kids Ask Questions About Grand Canyon National Park

National Parks Week starts tomorrow, running from April 17th through April 25th. For the next 7 days, all national parks are free, and are hosting celebrations. Here are three books that we offer on National Parks:

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Ansel Adams:
The National Park Service Photographs
Photos by Ansel Adams, Introduction by Alice Gray
(Hardcover, 144 pages, 1995, $25)

In 1941 Ansel Adams was hired by the U.S. Dept. of the Interior to photograph America’s national parks for a series of murals that would celebrate the country’s natural heritage. Because of the escalation of World War II, the project was suspended after less than a year, but not before Adams had produced this group of breathtaking images.

These stunning photographs of the natural geysers & terraces in Yellowstone, the rocks & ravines in the Grand Canyon, the winding rivers & majestic mountains in Glacier and Grand Teton national parks, the mysterious Carlsbad Caverns, the architecture of ancient Indian villages, and many evocative views of the American West demonstrate the genius of Adams’s technical and aesthetic inventiveness.

Purchase this book for $25:

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Underwater Wonders of the National Parks: A Diving and Snorkeling Guide Compiled by the National Park Service
by Daniel J. Lenihan and John D. Brooks (Paperback, 338 pages, 2000, $20)

Perhaps the single best-kept secret about our National Parks is the underwater realm that they include: millions of acres of submerged lands, only a small fraction of which has been explored by divers.

From geysers on the bottom of Yellowstone Lake, to the coral reefs of the Dry Tortugas, to steamers sunk in the frigid waters of Isle Royale in Lake Superior, to the kelp forests of the Channel Islands, the National Parks have much to offer the diver. Almost all 61 NPS areas with significant water holdings are of some interest to divers.

This guide introduces divers and others interested in water sports to this dimension of the National Parks, such as snorkeling rare coral reefs; shipwreck diving and underwater archaeological sites. Color photos and detailed maps.

National Parks Traveler used this book as a reference for the Top 10 favorite diving and snorkeling parks.

Purchase this book for $20:

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Hey Ranger!: Kids Ask Questions about Grand Canyon National Park
Written by Kim Williams Justesen, Illustrations by Judy Newhouse
(Paperback, 46 pages, 2006, $10)

Kids ask the greatest questions! Is the Grand Canyon cursed? Why are there so many bugs here? Do park rangers feed the animals? This book answers the real questions — some smart, some silly — that kids ask Grand Canyon National Park rangers every day. Filled with fascinating facts and ready-to-color illustrations, this fun and educational guide offers hours of entertainment for explorers of all ages.

Purchase this book for $10:

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