The picture above is of the Sierra Estrella mountains in the Arizona desert where the Storyteller lives. In the spring, the beautiful wildflowers bloom, and the many kinds of wildlife who live there give birth to their babies. During the night, coyotes roam the mountain ridges and can be heard calling to one another. The young pups have very distinctive yelps, which change with time as they mature, so it is very easy to tell the young children from the grownups when you hear them talk to each other. One morning, just before dawn when our Storyteller was taking his usual morning walk, he encountered a fully-grown female coyote much like the one in the picture above. She had several pups with her, and one of them seemed very curious about her surroundings. This little family became the inspiration for our stories. All of the characters in the stories are Arizona desert wildlife. The places Copper and her friends go on their adventures are actual places, like the Grand Canyon, Tombstone, and Monument Valley.

Many years ago, people who were looking for gold, silver and copper in the area would dig into the side of the mountain and create mines. They would store their tools near the entrance and sleep there at night to protect their treasures. When our Storyteller saw such a place in the mountains near his home, he thought that would be a perfect setting for Copper to begin her story. The picture above shows Copper Coyote as she looked at ten weeks old. The mine is where she spent most of those ten weeks with her family.

These are Copper's friends who share exciting adventures with her. The inspiration for each character is one of the Storyteller's GRANDCHILDREN !

AUSTIN the OWL is wise. He likes to act tough, but on the inside he is very gentle and caring. He can see well at night, which helps the group of friends on their journey. Because he can fly so fast, it is easy for him to become frustrated when the group is slow; so he learns to be patient.

STEVEN the SKUNK is funny and is a philospher (which means he does a lot of thinking about the meaning of life). He is chubby, and some animals make fun of him, especially his nickname (Stinky). But, he is a loyal friend, and he is the group's defense in case of an emergency.

HANNAH the HARE is intelligent. She loves to read and play the violin. She is very friendly, but does not have a lot of self-confidence; she becomes more outgoing as part of the group. She can hear the slightest noise, so she can tell when trouble is approaching and can warn the others.

SARA the GROUND SQUIRREL is the group's light-hearted companion. She helps to keep the group happy with her chattering and singing. Sara is a very small animal and some of the other animals in the area don't think that she can be taken seriously. But she will surprise you with her abilities.