Singing Creek — by Morgan Simmons with illustrations by Don Wood — tells the story of a talented crayfish with big ambitions named Molly McGee. An aquatic resident of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Molly hopes to record her very own music album, and, to achieve her dreams, she recruits other native aquatic species to join her band. Just as they’re about to record, however, a mysterious stranger with a bad reputation appears, and Molly’s dreams take an unfortunate turn. Written first and foremost to be entertaining, the book also teaches young readers about aquatic life in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

“We wanted to bring the characters to life and make them attractive, but also represent the truth about aquatic life,” said Lisa Horstman, lead publications specialist for Great Smoky Mountains Association, who designed the book. “The goal was to treat the readers with respect and value their intelligence, since there is a lot to be learned from the book.”

Author Morgan Simmons, a native of the area, spent 28 years telling true stories of the Smokies as a former Knoxville News Sentinel reporter. Singing Creek is his first foray into fiction. The book is available in the park’s visitor center bookstores and online at www.smokiesinformation.org/singing-creek.