Animas Animal Adventures: Durango to Silverton (Hardcover)
Ride the rails on a steam-powered train as you travel with the narrator from charming Durango, Colorado along the Animas River to the old mining town of Silverton, Colorado. This beautifully illustrated poem allows the reader to experience what it’s like to have a seat on the train and discover the unique animals who make this special place their home. After a day of chugging through vast wilderness over narrow bridges perched above gorges with water raging below, the train comes to rest with the narrator bidding “goodnight” to the animals, majestic southwestern scenes, and these two memorable mountain towns. This book is the perfect way to share the wind-in-your-face excitement of a wild-west adventure with an adult or child you love.
Out of boredom and desperation, Anna C. Swain began rhyming aloud in the dark during late night feedings to soothe her infant daughter back to sleep. Rather than have her committed, her husband encouraged her to shower, then write down the rhyming couplets that became Animas Animal Adventures: Durango to Silverton. Having won poetry competitions in her youth and studied English literature at Sewanee: the University of the South, the poem formed rapidly, and Anna felt exhilaration in creating an artistic work that showed her daughter all the things she loves most about living in southwestern Colorado. Born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama, Anna was always intrigued by the untamed adventure of the west, working for a summer in Alaska, moving to Wyoming at age twenty-three, and then settling in Durango, Colorado in 2010. Anna is a licensed attorney in Colorado and New Mexico, an artist, dog petter, community volunteer, and social media humorist. Her greatest nemesis is laundry.
"A wonderful book for anyone who has kids and loves Durango, Colorado. Be warned — if you read this to your kids once, they will demand you do it every night!"
— Blake Crouch, international best-selling novelist and screenwriter, author of Dark Matter, the Wayward Pines trilogy, and creator of Good Behavior on TNT.
"If you have chugged along the rails on the DSRR you will immediately recognize the scenery in Animas Animal Adventures. Swain’s depiction and poetry capture the look and feel of the trip from Durango to Silverton with charm and a youngster’s delight. It is a joy to read no matter how old you are. " – Stew Mosberg, author of In the Shadows of Canyon Road and Good Days, Bad Days – A Collection of Short Stories
"Great book for kids or adults! My son loves anything related to trains, especially one that he's been on! The story flows really well and is fun to read. Features many of Durango's landmarks and traditions, making it the perfect souvenir for visiting families or a fantastic gift for local families. -Ann-Marie Kogan
"This is a great children's book featuring kids classics like animals and trains. There are also some funny bits to keep parents entertained... A must-have for Durango kids." -Kathy Kilimire
— Blake Crouch, international best-selling novelist and screenwriter, author of Dark Matter, the Wayward Pines trilogy, and creator of Good Behavior on TNT.
"If you have chugged along the rails on the DSRR you will immediately recognize the scenery in Animas Animal Adventures. Swain’s depiction and poetry capture the look and feel of the trip from Durango to Silverton with charm and a youngster’s delight. It is a joy to read no matter how old you are. " – Stew Mosberg, author of In the Shadows of Canyon Road and Good Days, Bad Days – A Collection of Short Stories
"Great book for kids or adults! My son loves anything related to trains, especially one that he's been on! The story flows really well and is fun to read. Features many of Durango's landmarks and traditions, making it the perfect souvenir for visiting families or a fantastic gift for local families. -Ann-Marie Kogan
"This is a great children's book featuring kids classics like animals and trains. There are also some funny bits to keep parents entertained... A must-have for Durango kids." -Kathy Kilimire