When, where and — in some cases — how?

Whose feet are on the cover? Audrey, age 4
The cover was shot at the home of Carl Sams & Jean Stoick in Milford, Michigan.

Dedication page? Audrey again, at Carl & Jean’s.
Look for her famous feet again in a series of board books that Carl & Jean created for Chick-Fil-A. The books will be distributed in kids’ meals, date TBA.

The deer? Carl has been photographing the same family of deer for more than 20 years near his home in Milford.

Four girls, hand-in-hand? Taken at Kensington Metropark in Michigan.

Girls and dog in the daisies? Well, for those, we pulled off the side of the road in Milford, Michigan, and took hundreds of photos, playing ball with the dog (Scooby, a Labradoodle), just running around and having fun. It was one of the first warm days of summer, 2009.

Polar bears, ice caps? Alaska

3 monkeys in a tree? Costa Rica

The stream of water with the sun peeking through? Taken in Marquette, Michigan.

The girl brushing her teeth? Claire, Bridget’s daughter with the cleanest teeth. She brushed and brushed as Carl shot from every angle, careful not to catch himself in the mirror.

Who is reading the paper in the red rocking chair? That’s Carl R. Sams II in Marquette, Michigan. And yes, he even took his own picture using a timer. How many times did he run back & forth between the rocker and the camera to catch just the right shadows? 12

The mother and daughter unloading groceries from cloth shopping bags? That’s Bridget with her oldest daughter, Katelyn. She loves to help around the house.

The girl with the painted turtle? That’s Bridget’s daughter Meghan, a real animal-lover. Meghan found that turtle, named Lion, in Lake Orion, and we carefully transported it to Milford for our photo shoot. Lion enjoyed our store-bought reptile food, but we think he was happy to be returned safely home.

The girl with the nest? That’s Bridget’s youngest daughter, Audrey. Another animal-lover. The nest had been abandoned, and we thought it was an excellent way to show how one person’s trash can become another creature’s treasure.

Back end sheet: “The Ghost in the Woods” Do you see the “ghost”?

How many times has Carl R. Sams II been chased by a bear? Good question. We’ll get back to you on that.