Lucky Penny Press Unveils ‘Buzzy and the Red Rock Canyons,’ 1st in Series Celebrating National Parks

Lucky Penny Press, the innovative publisher of eBooks and print books for children, is pleased to announce the release of Buzzy and the Red Rock Canyons, a fast-paced, illustrated tour of Utah’s five national parks — Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Zion.

Along the way, kids see the fantastic geologic formations that characterize these parks and learn about magpies, marmots, mule deer, bighorn sheep, falcons, condors and other park inhabitants.

The book is written by Lucky Penny founder Melissa Marsted, illustrated by artist Izzy Greer, and designed by Pamela Beverly-Quigley. It will be available online through Amazon, at National Park Service gift shops in Utah and at other select retailers throughout Utah.

David Nimkin, senior regional director of the southwest region of the National Parks Conservation Association, wrote, “Wow! I just loved this book. It is filled with wonderful illustrations and stories that engender great wonder and joy for our most special places — Utah’s national parks.”

“Through the great lessons of Buzzy and her cast of native wildlife creatures, this book’s illustrations capture the marvelous and reckless beauty of Utah’s parks with graceful lessons of geology, cultural histories, night skies and all the qualities and values that make Utah’s national parks some of our most iconic places,” he continued. “This book elicits a childlike fascination, curiosity and affection for our parks ... for all ages. And thank you for endorsing our work to protect these fragile and special lands.”

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the National Park System, Park City, Utah-based Lucky Penny Publishing is planning an entire series of children’s books on the parks.

The second book, Chloe the Quail Cruises California, takes a tour of California’s nine national parks — from Yosemite to Death Valley, Joshua Tree to Sequoia & Kings Canyon.

Future titles include Molly the Meadowlark’s Magical Mountain Adventure through the national parks of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming; and books exploring the national parks of Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico.

Buzzy and the Red Rock Canyons is Marsted’s fifth children’s book (other titles include Pablito and the Speckled Bear, Emily and the Shackelford Horses, The Lucky Penny Christmas Story and The King’s Balloon, due in May).

A transplant to the Beehive State after her Montecito home burned down in the 2008 Tea Fire in Santa Barbara, Marsted has fallen love with the beauty of her adopted home. A long-distance runner, she has completed several races through Utah’s canyons. Describing the beauty of the state’s national parks in an illustrated book for children was a natural for her.

Greer, the book’s talented illustrator, has been painting for most of her life and studied art in college. Currently a San Francisco resident, she has previously lived in Massachusetts and Utah and has been illustrating Lucky Penny Press titles for more than six years. Click here to purchase prints of her lush illustrations for Buzzy and the Red Rock Canyons.

Like all Lucky Penny titles, a portion of book sales will benefit a nonprofit organization. Buzzy and the Red Rock Canyons will benefit the National Parks Conservation Association, which works to protect and preserve our nation’s most iconic and inspirational places for present and future generations.

Lucky Penny Press began as a children’s eBook publisher founded by Marsted in 2010. The company became Lucky Penny Publishing LLC, in 2013, offering two imprints: Lucky Penny Press, publishing children’s e-books, and Silver Dollar Press, which publishes adult-oriented memoirs, autobiographies and nonfiction. The company added the print division — offering softcover editions from Amazon — in June 2015.

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