Brittle Stars and Mudbugs: An Uncommon Field Guide to Northwest Shorelines and Wetlands

"Brittle Stars..." was the first of Lichen's "Uncommon Field Guide" series I discovered. They are all uncommonly delightful to poke into. One can read them chapter-by-chapter or just open the book anywhere and delve in. I picked up this one to add to my school's marine biology collection. After scanning it, I bought a second copy for myself. After reading part of it, I ordered the other two books in the series. Recently I showed one of the guides to a friend who is a lifelong outdoorsman. He immediately purchased a set for himself. She gives the reader the sort of understanding about nature one usually only finds in going on a field tour with a great guide. My only complaint is that there is not one of Feltner's lovely detailed illustrations with every single chapter.

What could have been a very dry, factual book about marine life turned out to be a book filled with interesting info about northwest marine life and a writing style that isn't just data. I bought the book to use with teenagers and, because of their great interest in anything sexual, I told them, tongue in cheek, the first chapter they should read is the one about dragonflies and damsels. LOL It was hilarious. This is the number one book of interest about local marine life as far as I'm concerned.

Patricia Lichen's Brittle Stars & Mudbugs truly is an uncommon field guide. Newly relocated to the Pacific Northwest and Puget Sound area I have half-filled a bookshelf with the more traditional field guide. Those, with their high quality photos or detailed drawings, I use to key out the fine distinctions between hard to discern animals and plants.When I want pure enjoyment exploring Puget Sound's natural environs I bring out Lichen's book. Her conversational writing style and twinkle-in-the-eye wit along with her obvious love for her subject matter breath life into whatever she describes. Linda Feltner's illustrations are ideally suited for this book and enhance the pleasurable reading. As soon as I finish writing this review I am ordering her two other books on the Northwest.

This delightful little book is an absolute pleasure to read. It fits nicely in the hand, the pages are easy to read, and the illustrations are gentle and lovingly drawn. The author tells you stories about these animals, plants and algae the way she would if you were walking with her along the beach and came across each specimin. It's not ordered by phylum or habitat, but apparently randomly, which ensures that you won't tire of reading all about fish, but instead will move quickly to birds and seaweed and echinoderms and back. I live on the beach, and volunteer at the Seattle Aquarium, and these stories help me tell compelling stories to audiences and friends of all ages. They bring the funny objects you see on the beach to life, and make each animal or plant that you see seem a friend, a neighbor, someone whose life you care about. This should slow your steps on the beach, so that you will see the life around you more clearly, and should increase your commitment to conservation and cleanup. It's tough to abuse a neighborhood that you care about, and Patricia and Linda bring these organisms close to you so that you will care about them. As an earlier reviewer pointed out, this is not a field guide that will help you identify what you see -- it is one that will help you understand what you see, and that's what makes it uncommon and (in my opinion) so very special. Thanks to the author and illustrator for such a magnificent addition to my library of field guides and books on biology. This one is a treasure.

I especially liked the friendly tone of these essays and also the author's sense of humor. Fascinating info about how plants and animals live their lives--I learned a lot.