The City Beneath the Ash

A shimmer in an old cave. A city carved deep under the ground. And a giant stone door that won't budge.

When Thunderclaw, their feathered velociraptor best friend, dashes into a strange shimmer, Graves and Numa race in after him and tumble into the past. They land in a vast underground city lit by flickering oil lamps, inspired by the real city of Derinkuyu in Turkey. Riders are galloping closer, and the city's great rolling stone door has been knocked off its track.

Numa's whistle can't reach their giant friends from here. This time the three of them have only their own brave ideas. Graves and Thunderclaw climb a dark air shaft to the hillside high above, while Numa shows the townspeople how to pull the stuck door free with a rope. Can they seal the city in time?

Inside you'll find:

24 story pages to color, each with one big picture and one short caption, so kids follow the adventure while they color

Bold, clean outlines and big open spaces made for ages 4 to 10 A Meet the Characters page and a This Book Belongs To page Large 8.5 x 11 inch pages

These stories began at bedtime on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, told for my two oldest kids, Graves and Numa. This one is about teamwork, quick thinking and courage, with no giants needed.