Several years back, some family and friends rounded a bend on a trail near Cade's Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and came upon a doe with a fawn that could not have been more than a few minutes old. Of course, we didn't have our cameras handy.

Ann and Rob Simpson have had their cameras handy often enough to fill a remarkable 80-page book with priceless, full-color, candid photographs of baby animals in the Smokies. And they weren't just lucky. Professors at Lord Fairfax Community College in Virginia, the Simpsons know their wildlife biology as well as their photography. They know what various animals like to eat, when they venture forth and where they hide their young. They've had the opportunity and the patience to wait for days if that's what it took to capture an unforgettable image. Most of the photos were taken inside the national park; the rest were taken nearby.

In a foreword, the Simpsons say that this is a book for "children of all ages." They're exactly right; the clear, vivid photos of animal babies make this a great picture book to share with a child.

But you don't need a child as an excuse to enjoy Born Wild in the Smokies. The brief text accompanying the photos identifies the young animals, and in most cases, it also provides some interesting tidbit of information or insight that the lay person may not know.

Anyone who's been thrilled to come home from a vacation with one or two shots of a wild animal will be impressed by the number and variety of infant creatures the Simpsons present. The expected fawns, bunnies, squirrels and black bear cubs are here, but so are young turtles, salamanders and even a two-headed snake. Have you ever seen a fuzzy owlet, a bobcat kitten, or a young muskrat? Even a turkey vulture chick or an opossum joey or a baby striped skunk is cute.

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