John and Gloria Tveten, illustrated by John Tveten
Can’t go on endless ecotours around the world with your favorite aunt and uncle? You’ll feel like you are doing just that as you read Adventures Afar.
Just like parents shouldn’t have favorite children, booksellers probably shouldn’t have favorite authors. Well, we do, and John and Gloria Tveten rank among our top favorites. Kindred spirits (read bio-nerds), unflagging educators, the epitome of ‘Minnesota Nice meets ‘Texas Friendly’ not to mention great speakers and even better writers, what’s not to like? As I was reviewing this book, the second in the series based on the over 1,250 Nature Trail columns they wrote for the Houston Chronicle, I thought, “This is what it would be like to be able to travel with these two!” Of course, since most of the adventures they described were undertaken while they were working as trip naturalist, that might seem obvious, but you don’t just get the natural history, you get a feel for the Tveten’s all-out enthusiasm for nature study, and a glint of their humor. They write of the feeling of seeing a sought after, rare, hard to find bird while on a ship in Greenland, describe enthusiastically patting the spotter on his back, although doubting he could feel it under all his layers. I thought, “That’s John all right!” or maybe Gloria pointing it out to John!
I also envisioned a new kind of lister/collector. While many owners of the book Great Texas Birds have made it a hobby to get as many author signatures as possible, I envision people now ‘collecting’ trips to the areas the Tvetens write about! So, if you are interested in learning more about nature, are an armchair traveler, and/or like reading about new places and different cultures, you’ll enjoy Adventures Afar.
If you like John’s style of simple pen and ink drawings, we’ll be helping them sell them, too. Let us know if you are interested, and we’ll let you know what’s available and when they'll be available.
From the publisher: “John Tveten and Gloria Tveten, Illustrations by John Tveten; Polar bears in the high Arctic. Butterflies on Mexico's mountains. Gray whales in Baja, California. Golden toads in Costa Rica. Parrots in the West Indies. Albatrosses off the Olympic Peninsula.
Whether on their own or as tour leaders for the Smithsonian Institution and other organizations, John and Gloria Tveten have encountered the world's wildlife with an unfailing appreciation not only for animals of all kinds but also for the places those animals call home. For more than two decades, from some of the most beautiful and fascinating locations in the Western Hemisphere, the Tvetens brought their adventures alive for the readers of their weekly "Nature Trails" column in the Houston Chronicle.
In this new book, with contemporary notes and updates, the Tvetens have gathered a sampling of their favorite, most recommended, most unforgettable trips to see wildlife and nature, which also include the Guatemalan Highlands, the International Crane Foundation, the Andes, the Grand Canyon, and Utah's Redrock Country.
JOHN TVETEN and GLORIA TVETEN are Texas naturalists, writers, and photographers. Residents of Baytown, they are frequent speakers and field trip leaders at nature and birding festivals throughout the state and nation.
What people are saying about this book:
"The stories are fascinating and delightful. The book could be used to choose a travel destination or to just enjoy traveling to exotic places without leaving home. The Tvetens report on local markets, geology, local characters, and all of the extra things that make a visit to a country or place a full experience . . ."—John P. O'Neill, former director, Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science”
Hardcover, 5 ½ x 8 ½ inches; 264 pp.; 86 drawings, July 2006
