PHOENIX—March 4, 2008—Jackalope Tales: Observations in the Field, by (fictional) author, Albert J. Yellowtail, Ph.D., fuels an infectious fantasy that afflicts many travelers seeking adventure in the West. Though their story origins nearly coincide, far different from the pious Easter Bunny, the untamed Jackalope has his own ardent believers. Is he a crossbred horned hare, with sightings reported as early as the 16th century, or a more modern figment of 1930s Wyoming taxidermist Douglas Herrick’s imagination?
“Dr. Yellowtail” chronicles his version of the Jackalope’s unusual behavior and mischievous antics through animated selections from lifelong observations documented in his personal journals. Fanciful fables include “Hero of the Forest,” “Friends with Moose,” and “Bush Saves Jackass.” Jackalope Tales, edited by LinDee Rochelle, is available through Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Target.com, independent bookstores in the West and Southwest, and www.GoldenWestPublishers.com ($6.95).
Cheery morality in ten humorous and poignant “hare-raising” adventures characterizes Jackalope Tales… from “Saving the Hiker,” a tourist walks in oblivious reverie unaware of nearby bear cubs. The Jackalope diverts mama bear’s attention: “The Jackalope and the bear remained locked in combat until the hiker was no longer in sight. Now what?! With one vicious swipe of her giant paw, the small antlered creature would tumble, broken, to the ground. But the talented Jackalope let out a cry mimicking Mama bear; the cubs, hiding under a nearby bush, came running. Chubby little legs pumped furiously as they bumped and lurched their way to her.” Mother love saves the heedless tourist and the brave Jackalope.
Jackalope Tales is aimed at the young and young-at-heart; and to contradict some stories of vicious cunning, it is the first book to capture the Jackalope’s beneficent persona in fanciful fables. From “About the Author” page: “Due to Albert’s remarkable insights we’ll uncover this elusive, agile and fascinating creature’s many extraordinary qualities. And it’s up to you to believe in the Jackalope... or not.”
Legendary throughout the West and Southwest, the peculiar jackrabbit-antelope lore captured the imagination of Golden West Publishers’ owners, Bobbi and Bruce Fischer, while traveling through Jackson Hole, Wyo.; but a 1985 gubernatorial decree declares Douglas, Wyo., the little guy’s “official” home town. With yellowed-parchment pages Jackalope Tales helps perpetuate the adventurous West.
