Animals of the National Parks by Fifty-Nine Parks

Animals of the National Parks is a fun, themed alphabet book for National Park lovers.

Animals of the National Parks: An Alphabet Book by Fifty-Nine Parks, illustrated by Kim Smith. Nancy Paulsen Books, 2025. 32 pages.

• Reading Level: Picture books, ages 4-8
• Recommended For: Ages 0-4

Alphabet books are fun ways to organize information. This book uses the alphabet to introduce children to some of the interesting animals that live in our country, identifying which national parks might be their home.

Beginning with American Bison and moving right through until Zigzag Salamanders, each animal has a descriptive sentence or two followed by a sentence identifying where they can be found. Descriptions of animals are a good fit for a childlike audience: animals that weigh as much as a large piano or that use the stars to find their way home at night (you’ll have to read the book to find out which animals those are!).

Illustrations were done in collaboration with Fifty-Nine Parks which produces national park posters in a distinctive style. The art in the book complements the poster style, but it is more simplified and stylized. Back matter includes a map (helpful if you don’t know your national parks!) as well as a page to note what you see on your travels. No mention of millions of years or adaptations.

Bottom Line: If your family loves to visit the national parks, consider adding this to your road trip fun. Otherwise, look for it in your local library.

Recommended Reading at Redeemed Reader

• Review: Counting Winter uses numbers to learn about winter. It’s a good companion read to Animals of the National Parks.
• Review: Running Wild: Awesome Animals in Motion is for older kids, but full of amazing information about animals all around us.
• Review: 50 Wacky Things Animals Do — for slightly older kids, here’s more animal trivia fun!

We are participants in the Amazon LLC affiliate program; purchases you make through affiliate links like the one below may earn us a commission. Read more here.

Buy Animals of the National Parks on amazon.