Why are the Mountains Smoky?

Southern Scribe
our culture of storytelling

Children's Book Review

Why are the Mountains Smoky?
Neat Facts about the Southern Appalachian Mountains
Written and Illustrated by Kent Whitaker
Overmountain Press, 2004
Trade paper, $9.95 (124 pages)
ISBN: 1-57072-290-0

Why are the mountains smoky?
Well, it's not smoke....The blue haze found over the Great Smoky Mountains is caused by changes in the weather, temperature and moisture in the air. The smoke is like fog and low-level clouds!

Any parent will smile at the inspiration for Why are the Mountains Smoky? It was those curious wee people in Kent Whitaker's backseat on a pumpkin shopping trip through the North Georgia mountains.

Whitaker's research encompasses all the elements of culture, history and folklore of the Great Smoky Mountains and is as entertaining for adults as it is informative for children. Every possible question a young inquisitive mind may ask is answered. Topics include: the Cherokee Nation; black bears; other native animals; native plants and trees; the Appalachian Trail; and trivia about the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

You will want to add this book to your parents' survival kit for the next trip to the Smokies.

Kent Whitaker also writes cookbooks and food articles for newspapers and magazines, and is known as The Deck Chef for his tailgating and backyard barbecue recipes. Whitaker and his family -- including inquisitive Macee -- live in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Joyce Dixon
Southern Scribe Reviews