\u201cIt was inspired by one of the biggest beaver dams and lodges there and nearly impossible to get to,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The story follows an American beaver named Rascal, who had a hard time paying attention to things around him, according to Marsted.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis mom tries to teach him how to be a responsible beaver, and the arc of the story is made of these mishaps he gets into,\u201d she said with a laugh. \u201cAfter a while he starts to notice some of the signs he needs to pay attention to.\u201d<\/p>\n
The story also is about the benefits beavers bring to the environment, Marsted explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeaver dams help prevent wildfires,\u201d she said. \u201cSo the first page actually focuses on the lodge and dam and what beavers do around the dam.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/melissamarsted-and-clover.jpg\")
Melissa Marsted and her dog Clover take a rest after hiking at Banff National Park in Canada. Marsted will publish \u201cRascal\u2019s Year of Adventures,\u201d the 12th book of her \u201cWildlife Adventures for Young Readers\u201d series, on Sept. 20. Credit: Photo courtesy of Melissa Marsted<\/p>\n
Preventing wildfires is a theme close to Marsted\u2019s heart. The author, who lived in California in 2008, lost her home in the Santa Barbara Tea Fire, one of 6,255 fires that ravaged the state that year.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, my stories also are intended to have a little \u2018home\u2019 in them,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Rascal was inspired by Parka, the beaver, the Canadian National Parks mascot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI would go to these parks\u2019 bookstores and find there were no beaver stories,\u201d she said. \u201cYou\u2019ll see beaver signs everywhere, but not stories.\u201d<\/p>\n
Local beavers also inspired Marsted to create the character.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery time I walk by the Swaner Preserve, I\u2019ll go and check out the beavers,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Marsted knew a little bit about beavers when she started writing \u201cRascal\u2019s Year of Adventures.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI pretty much knew as much as I have put in the book, but I learned a little more as I was writing,\u201d she said. \u201cOne of the things I learned about was their teeth. I found out if they didn\u2019t chew enough, their teeth would grow and grow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marsted was on a road trip with her son, Peter Bermant, when she first saw illustrations from Alexandra Lehner, who would eventually become the new book\u2019s illustrator. (See story on page B-3.)<\/p>\n
\u201cAlex is doing 16 illustrations, which is basically one to two a week,\u201d Marsted said.<\/p>\n
The new book was designed by Aileen Aquino.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe has worked with me since book No. 4,\u201d Marsted said. \u201cAnd this book is No. 12 overall. So, we have come up with a format that is so easy to drop into.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marsted finished writing \u201cRascal\u2019s Year of Adventures\u201d in 2023, the same year her 10th book, \u201cOle\u2019s Dark Sky Journey\u201d won the Center for the Book award from the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n
\u201cLife happened, and the book had been sitting there for a while,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Marsted is currently reviewing the book and making little adjustments.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNormally we order a print proof,\u201d she said. \u201cBut we\u2019re so close, and I wanted to have this ready for my 60th birthday, which is on Sept. 20.\u201d<\/p>\n
Marsted said it\u2019s easy to skip the print proof step, due to the publishing model.<\/p>\n