An Unlikely Mountain Lion: Puma Dreams by Tony Johnston

My gram says everyone needs at least one dream.

Mine is to see a puma.

Gram calls that a dream that may not ever happen.

She says pumas are elusive as a handful of wind.

Her grandmother tells her that pumas are dwindling, wary of being hunted down, keeping to secret places and blending in with the landscape. But the girl has a plan.

I invest my allowance money in a salt lick.

Now I wait.

Time and seasons pass, and the girl watches. Many animals come to the lick, from elk to little birds with tiny beaks. One time the girl finds puma tracks--almost as big as her hand, but the golden shape eludes her. But she doesn't give up looking. And one morning while she's eating oatmeal, her back to the window, she feels it.

My skin begins to prickle.

And it happens. She sees her puma at last.

For me, the puma will always be there.

In her Puma Dreams (Simon and Schuster, 2019), notable author Tony Johnston's story encompasses wistful wishing, nature lore about endangered animals, the value of perseverance, and the awe inherent in being in the presence of a rare and beautiful wild animal in a satisfying story of hope fulfilled and lessons learned. The enchantingly expressive illustrations of Jim LeMarche capture the wide views of the western landscape and what the story calls the "long dreams" of its main character in a way that put the reader deep into the beauty of Johnston's sure-footed storytelling.

An informational section "About the Puma" and a list of sites devoted to puma preservation are appended.