60961_Jacket.3:AlphaJacket.temp 7/28/10 10:36 AM Page 1 A is for Arches A is for Discover America Becky Hall Discover America state by state with other alphabet books State by State A is for Arches Becky Hall is an elementary school teacher and by Sleeping Bear Press COLLECT ALL 51 BOOKS librarian, and lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her A Utah Alphabet husband and two children. She is an active member of her local library/media association and the Society What do the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, the Sego lily, of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators. She loves h A and the Utahraptor have in common? They are children’s bookstores and regularly attends writing a lp t ha among the many treasures offered by the state of workshops. In her free time Becky hikes in the U b e Utah and featured in A is for Arches: A Utah Alphabet. mountains of Utah with her dogs. t A Readers of all ages will enjoy this guided A-Z tour that showcases state symbols and history in an enter- Katherine Larson Utah taining and educational format. Beginning readers will enjoy the simple rhymes, Katherine Larson sold her first painting at the age while older children discover facts about each topic of 14. She is currently a classical singer, an illustrator, letter in the sidebar expository. a muralist, and the owner of Diva Designs in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Her work has taken her across the We’ll start with Utah’s Arches, United States for murals in private homes, institutions, made from wind, frost, and rain. and retail stores. She has done over 350 commissioned Nature’s rocky sculptures— paintings for magazines, private owners, businesses, An art that can’t remain. public spaces, and books. A is for Arches is Katherine’s second book with Sleeping Bear Press. She also illus- / Larson Hall Author Becky Hall’s descriptive rhymes and inform- trated G is for Grand Canyon: An Arizona Alphabet. ative text are highlighted by artist Katherine Larson’s vivid, original artwork. From H is for Handcarts to Z is for Zion National Park, A is for Arches presents the his- tory, landscape, and people of the great state of Utah. Written by Becky Hall Visit us at www.sleepingbearpress.com Illustrated by Katherine Larson U.S. $17.95 Downloadable teachers’ guides available CAN. $21.95 60961_Pages.3:60961_UT_inside.1 7/28/10 9:46 AM Page 1 A is for Arches A Utah Alphabet Written by Becky Hall and Illustrated by Katherine Larson Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. This is an electronic sample of the print textbook. The publisher reserves the right to remove content from this title at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it. For valuable information on pricing, previous editions, changes to current editions and alternate formats, please visit www.cengage.com/highered to search by ISBN#, author, title, or keyword for materials in your areas of interest. Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. 60961_Pages.3:60961_UT_inside.1 7/28/10 9:46 AM Page 2 Text Copyright © 2003 Rebecca Hall Illustration Copyright © 2003 Katherine Larson All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews and articles. All inquiries should be addressed to: 315 E. Eisenhower Parkway, Suite 200 Ann Arbor MI 48108 www.sleepingbearpress.com Sleeping Bear Press is an imprint of Gale, a part of Cengage Learning. Printed and bound in China. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Hall, Rebecca, 1950- A is for arches : a Utah alphabet book / by Rebecca Hall; illustrated by Katherine Larson. p. cm. Summary: An alphabet book that introduces Utah's history, culture, and landscape, from Arches National Park to Zion National Park. ISBN 1-58536-096-1 1. Utah—Juvenile literature. 2. English language—Alphabet—Juvenile literature. [1. Utah. 2. Alphabet.] I. Larson, Katherine, ill. II. Title. F826.3 .H27 2003 979.2—dc21 2003010461 Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. 60961_Pages.3:60961_UT_inside.1 7/28/10 9:46 AM Page 3 For Dave, Sarah, and Brooks BECKY Dedicated to the Dudleys—Blair, Di, Ruby, Chase, and Violet— For bravely lending their images to this book and for their kindness and friendship through these many years. KATHERINE Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. 60961_Pages.3:60961_UT_inside.1 7/28/10 9:46 AM Page 4 We’ll start with Utah’s Arches, made from wind, frost, and rain. Nature’s rocky sculptures— An art that can’t remain. Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. 60961_Pages.3:60961_UT_inside.1 7/28/10 9:46 AM Page 5 Utah’s most famous arches are near Moab at Arches National Park. These are nature’s sandstone sculptures, formed by freezing and thawing, by flowing water, and by wind. After many years, arches fall apart because the process that forms them also destroys them. New arches are slowly forming all the time. The world’s longest natural arch is in Utah; it is not clear where, though. The decision depends on the way an arch is measured. Two arches compete for this honor: Landscape Arch (measuring between 291 and 306 feet) in Arches National Park and Kolob Arch (measur- ing between 292 and 310 feet) in Zion National Park. Some of this measuring was done by hand, and more recently it was done electronically. The desert ecosystem where these arches are found is unique. The soil can be so fragile that it never recovers from human footsteps. The only poison- ous lizard in the United States, the Gila monster, is found here. Other common animals of the area include mule deer, coyote, gray fox, ground squirrels, col- lared lizards, and rattlesnakes. Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. 60961_Pages.3:60961_UT_inside.1 7/28/10 9:46 AM Page 6 The state insect is the honeybee. On the flag, bees buzz around a yellow hive. An early name for the state was “Deseret,” which meant honeybee. Utah’s nickname is the “Beehive State.” The state motto is “Industry” which means hard work. In 1847 Mormon pioneers settled in Salt Lake City in an attempt to find religious freedom. They had to be resourceful and industrious in order to survive in the harsh desert. They grew their own food, produced as much as they could for themselves, and mined the nearby hills. They tried to be self-sufficient and at one point, they even wanted to be a separate country. Found on the state seal and the flag, it makes sense that “Industry” was chosen in 1959 as Utah’s motto. Busy Bees, that’s what we are— Our symbol is the hive. From mining to technology, this helps our state survive. Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. 60961_Pages.3:60961_UT_inside.1 7/28/10 9:46 AM Page 7 The rock and mineral of the state, Coal and Copper, begin withC. They’re found in mines both north and south. Come search for them with me. The world’s first open pit copper mine is near Salt Lake City in Bingham Canyon. Called “The Richest Hole on Earth,” it covers more than 1,900 acres and is two and one-half miles wide and three-fourths of a mile deep. Since 1906 over six billion tons of material have been removed, including gold and sil- ver. A mountain once stood where now there is a deep hole. The state rock is coal, and the mines are located in central and southeastern Utah. Although Brigham Young and his followers started the mines, many of the miners were brought to Utah from Italy, China, Finland, Greece, Japan, and Mexico. That is how such a variety of people from all over the world settled in central Utah. Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. 60961_Pages.3:60961_UT_inside.1 7/28/10 9:46 AM Page 8 Utah does have its own Dixie. Before the Civil War began, the state’s leader, Brigham Young, wanted Utah to be more independent and produce its own cotton. He did not want to rely on the battling southern states, the original Dixie. In October 1861 he sent settlers to southern Utah to start a new “Dixie” where they could grow cotton. The settlers named their community St. George, after the local leader, George A. Smith. They built a cotton factory that began producing cloth and cotton stuffing by 1867. The factory stayed open until 1910. Today this area is still called Utah’s “Dixie.” Copyright 2010 Cengage Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. 60961_Pages.3:60961_UT_inside.1 7/28/10 9:46 AM Page 9 Did you know there are two Dixies? Utah has its very own. Settled in the 1860s, here cotton once was grown.