The Girl and the Mountain Goat

Seven-year-old Emma loves the Goat Ridge Trail more than any other place, and on a bright Saturday morning she sets out with her red hiking boots and green backpack. The pine-scented path and sunlight through the branches feel full of promise, and she skips upward until she spots a shaggy white-grey mountain goat on a sun-warmed boulder. Her heart races with the wish to run closer and say hello.

Before she can take another step, Ranger Maya stops her with a calm, friendly voice and explains that wild animals need safe space. Emma settles onto a flat rock and finds a different kind of closeness, studying the goat's twitching ears, its numbered ear tag and its calm amber eyes as it leaps from ledge to ledge. Written by Jane MEADOW, this gentle tale about observing wildlife responsibly can be read on Kids Tale Book.