Journey Beyond the Burrow by Rina Heisel

It’s so helpful in writing animals that an animal is able to hold something because it’s such a human quality.Īlso, I had a pet mouse in college that I rescued from a tarantula cage. Rina Heisel: Mice are so expressive, and they have fingers. MUF: So, you started with prairie dogs, why is the story about mice? It got me thinking about the relationship between predator and prey. I spent a lot of time in the Badlands getting prairie dog footage and observing them and their burrows. Rina Heisel: The natural science shows were my favorite projects. I saw on your website that you worked on nature shows for South Dakota Public Broadcasting, how did your time there influence Journey Beyond the Burrow?

I liked horse books and animal rescue books, but I also loved ghost stories, especially books by Mary Downing Hahn, and the Choose Your Own Adventure books. Rina Heisel: I read a lot of animal fantasy: Charlotte’s Web, Watership Down, Mrs. MUF: Speaking of books that you enjoyed as a child, can you tell us some of the books that influenced you? Those are some of my favorites because I always loved those types of books when I was a kid. But it’s also got some pretty scary, intense parts. Some people go into Journey Beyond the Burrow expecting a cute animal story, and it is that. Rina Heisel: I’ve actually heard that from a few reviewers. MUF: Speaking of the new predator, they definitely freaked me out, but not as much as the part where Tobin winds up in a nest of snakes. The Rules say to never pursue a predator, but Tobin goes on a rescue mission, along with his best friend and his little sister. He’s very proud of this, and always follows the Rules, until a big storm introduces a new predator that scuttles off with Tobin’s new baby brother. He’s the top weather scout in his burrow, and he’s an expert in the Rules of Rodentia. Rina Heisel: Journey Beyond the Burrow is an adventure story about a young mouse, Tobin.

MUF: So, tell us about Journey Beyond the Burrow. I’m really excited to be talking to you about this book. Hi Mixed-Up Filers! We dug into all kinds of nature topics with author Rina Heisel, author of the upcoming Journey Beyond the Burrow. Does your book qualify as middle-grade?.Turning Kids Into Bookworms: A Book List For Parents.Successful Author or Illustrator Visits.Schedule a Skype Visit with a Mixed-Up Files Author.Author Websites With Discussion/Activity Guides.

Journey Beyond the Burrow by Rina Heisel