Stories that personalize animals, while popular, are not always well done, but this time with skill and humor added, the result is good. Here in the California redwoods, is the hidden life of the wild in observant, understanding detail. There's an orphaned baby raccoon, a pheasant with his flock, a cougar, a pair of beavers and other creatures that fight for survival in their natural perilous setting. For natural history enthusiasts particularly, though general readers with outdoor interests will like this too.