Look at the natural world around you. Closer now. Can you find the letter "A" in a jumble of tree roots, the letter "I" in a cattail, the letter "O" in a bird's nest? Joe Rossi traveled the state in search of all the letters of the alphabet, photographing scenes from Granite Falls to Chippewa National Forest, from Bemidji to St. Paul. Turn these pages and see what he found: does his imagination match yours?

The plants and animals and rocks in Joe's pictures can teach us a lot about Minnesota's natural world: Did you know that Native Americans used the fluffy down from cattails to pad diapers and moccasins (here, the letter "I")? Or that the American white pelican (letter "J") teams up to herd fish--its dinner-- into shallow water? Or that the name Minnesota means "sky-colored water" (letter "H")?

Celebrated children's book author David LaRochelle takes readers on an adventure inspired by this natural alphabet and encourages everyone to look more closely at what treasures the outdoors holds.

All across this wondrous state
Letters A through Z await . . .
Zig and zagging, great and grand
Letters made by nature's hand.

Award-winning photographer Joe Rossi worked at the "St. Paul Pioneer Press "for more than twenty years. He lives in northern Minnesota. David LaRochelle is the award-winning author of "The End "and "The Best Pet of All." He lives in White Bear Lake.

High on a mountain live 100 mighty dragons all named Broccoli. When a tremendous wind blows half the dragons away, ten others sail off to become professional surfers in Hawaii. The oldest and youngest dragons take a train to New York City to start their own heavy metal band. And a mysterious wizard turns four more into a unicorn, a werewolf, a zombie, and a tiny pink poodle. Now how many dragons are left? Young readers will delight in following each and every dragon as they leave their home for marvelous adventures, until there is but one dragon remaining. That's when this final dragon named Broccoli retreats to a cave for the winter and reappears in the spring with a surprise that will thrill and delight. Prepare to read again!