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One Day on Beetle Rock
An elegant and lively depiction of nine animals spending a spring day on Beetle Rock, a large expanse of granite in Sequoia National Park, One Day on Beetle Rock is a classic of American nature writing. Drawing on seven years of close observation and inspired by the work of natural scientists, Sally Carrighar wrote with exquisite detail, bringing readers to an exhilarating consciousness of the search for food and a safe place to sleep, the relationship between prey and predator, the marvelous skills and adaptations of nature.
"One Day on Beetle Rock is one of the small, fine company of books that are not merely popular animal stories, or merely scientific studies of animals, but animal literature" --Saturday Review of Literature. B&W illustrations.
"One Day on Beetle Rock is one of the small, fine company of books that are not merely popular animal stories, or merely scientific studies of animals, but animal literature" --Saturday Review of Literature. B&W illustrations.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1944
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About the author
Sally Carrighar
52 books9 followersSally Carrighar (1898–1985) was an American naturalist and writer. She is known for her series of nature books chronicling the lives of wild animals.
She attended Wellesley College for two years and would have graduated with the class of 1922, but had to leave due to sickness.
Carrighar's work is based on years of observation. She spent seven years observing at Beetle Rock in California and ten years in the Arctic before writing her books. They are considered classics of nature writing and may be viewed as a specialized form of travel literature.
She wrote eleven books during her life, the most popular of which was her first One Day on Beetle Rock (1944). Several of her other titles are The Twilight Seas (1975), Icebound Summer (1953), One Day at Teton Marsh (1947), Home to the Wilderness (1973), and Wild Heritage (1965). Other books by this author include Wild Voice of the North: Chronicle of an Eskimo Dog (1959), Moonlight at Midday (1958), The Glass Dove: A Novel of the Underground Railroad (1962), A Husky in the House (1960) and Blue Whale (1975).
She attended Wellesley College for two years and would have graduated with the class of 1922, but had to leave due to sickness.
Carrighar's work is based on years of observation. She spent seven years observing at Beetle Rock in California and ten years in the Arctic before writing her books. They are considered classics of nature writing and may be viewed as a specialized form of travel literature.
She wrote eleven books during her life, the most popular of which was her first One Day on Beetle Rock (1944). Several of her other titles are The Twilight Seas (1975), Icebound Summer (1953), One Day at Teton Marsh (1947), Home to the Wilderness (1973), and Wild Heritage (1965). Other books by this author include Wild Voice of the North: Chronicle of an Eskimo Dog (1959), Moonlight at Midday (1958), The Glass Dove: A Novel of the Underground Railroad (1962), A Husky in the House (1960) and Blue Whale (1975).
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 11, 2020
Carrighar portrays nine animal inhabitants, a chapter at a time, in the high Sierra Nevada in California on high small meadow called Beetle Rock. She describes their experiences which occur on a single day in June which succintly explains their natural history. The animals are a weasel, Sierra grouse, chickaree. black bear, lizard, coyote, deer mouse, Stellar jay and mule deer buck.
Each struggles to find food and avoid predators. All day and night long various animals are sneaking around. Carrighar highlights the animals' acute sense of smell, sound and sight which apparently are much more acute than humans'. The structure of the book is very effective in projecting what it must be like to be one of these animals. The prose is reminiscent of Rachel Carlson's The Edge of the Sea.
Ms Carrighar must have spent a tremendous amount of time observing such creatures. Her empathy for them is obvious. She also wrote several other nature books, some about the Artic. I intend to keep this book around to re-read. It would be an excellent choice for young people interested in nature.
Each struggles to find food and avoid predators. All day and night long various animals are sneaking around. Carrighar highlights the animals' acute sense of smell, sound and sight which apparently are much more acute than humans'. The structure of the book is very effective in projecting what it must be like to be one of these animals. The prose is reminiscent of Rachel Carlson's The Edge of the Sea.
Ms Carrighar must have spent a tremendous amount of time observing such creatures. Her empathy for them is obvious. She also wrote several other nature books, some about the Artic. I intend to keep this book around to re-read. It would be an excellent choice for young people interested in nature.
July 6, 2019
It's June 18 on Beetle Rock. Each of the ten stories is as much a memoir as a nature essay of the ten creatures the author chose. Both uplifting and tragic, the tales are conversational, easy going and easy reading.
The grouse is nursing an injured leg. The bear is protecting her two cubs. The chickaree is looking for trouble. The Stellar Jay announces and creates havoc. The weasel is raising her brood. The coyote is trying to adapt to a new home. The Mule deer buck at ten is finding time is marching on.
Some of the information has been changed, but not enough to affect the stories. This is a relaxing nature read.
The grouse is nursing an injured leg. The bear is protecting her two cubs. The chickaree is looking for trouble. The Stellar Jay announces and creates havoc. The weasel is raising her brood. The coyote is trying to adapt to a new home. The Mule deer buck at ten is finding time is marching on.
Some of the information has been changed, but not enough to affect the stories. This is a relaxing nature read.
August 18, 2024
I read this as a pre-teen decades ago. I remembered it this morning in a dream! I LOVE the book back when and will look for a second copy (since I have no idea where #1 is). I also thought of a nature-loving friend, and a new grandmother (!), who I'm sure will read (and tell) fun stories to her granddaughter as she gets older.
May 7, 2017
A really enjoyable read; some beautiful language, excellent characterisations, and educational. Yes it is a nature documentary in book form and some may find that boring, but I found it charming and I'm glad I finally picked it up after years of glancing at it in the bookcase!
April 14, 2021
I love her writing, she makes a short chapter for each animal considered - really brings the area to life.
December 29, 2021
Makes you want to be in the woods. Slow read though
July 9, 2022
I love this book. She has wonderful realistic depictions of each animal presented.
September 1, 2025
Very entertaining.
December 9, 2015
I read this book basically because my friend demanded I do so. She thought I'd like it because I once spent a few hours at the Sequoia National Park.
Some of it I liked. The tales of the bear and the lizard were good. The tale of the mule deer was pretty good too.
Some of it was really boring. The grouse gets absolutely still and blends in. Not very exciting. The deer mouse runs from crack to crevice looking for a place to call home--boring.
I liked the way Sally Carrighar told about the same day from the perspective of different animals. There was overlap in several stories, and that was cool. I also like the way the first story (the grouse) included the deer mule, and the last story (the deer mule) included the grouse.
I'm glad I read this book, although at first I didn't think I would be able to stay awake long enough to read the whole thing.
The nicest was to describe this book is "gentle" and "old-fashioned."
Some of it I liked. The tales of the bear and the lizard were good. The tale of the mule deer was pretty good too.
Some of it was really boring. The grouse gets absolutely still and blends in. Not very exciting. The deer mouse runs from crack to crevice looking for a place to call home--boring.
I liked the way Sally Carrighar told about the same day from the perspective of different animals. There was overlap in several stories, and that was cool. I also like the way the first story (the grouse) included the deer mule, and the last story (the deer mule) included the grouse.
I'm glad I read this book, although at first I didn't think I would be able to stay awake long enough to read the whole thing.
The nicest was to describe this book is "gentle" and "old-fashioned."
June 21, 2016
Sometimes the very best writing is found in unexpected places, and this book is one of them. It is a treasure.
In exquisitely clear simple, but eloquent,, language that most novelists could learn a lot from, Carrigher follows the inter-related lives of a number of animals. There is none of the common 'sweetification' or 'brutification' that many popular writers adopt. The animals don't come across as people, or anything like that, but their individuality and 'humanity' (for lack of a better word) come across very movingly. This is the result of close sympathetic observation of their lives over time, but it is also the product of a clear mind and good heart--things that are not so common among writers. It is also product of a mastery of narrative.
In exquisitely clear simple, but eloquent,, language that most novelists could learn a lot from, Carrigher follows the inter-related lives of a number of animals. There is none of the common 'sweetification' or 'brutification' that many popular writers adopt. The animals don't come across as people, or anything like that, but their individuality and 'humanity' (for lack of a better word) come across very movingly. This is the result of close sympathetic observation of their lives over time, but it is also the product of a clear mind and good heart--things that are not so common among writers. It is also product of a mastery of narrative.
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October 29, 2009This is a lovely book, which I really enjoyed. Some folks have a problem with anthropomorphizing but it doesn't bother me. What was really intriguing is that Beetle Rock is in Sequoia National Park, just down the road from me. I'm having daydreams about letting my grandson read this book (it's written for adults, but he reads well above his grade level) and then we could go find Beetle Rock, and sit quietly and see what we can see for ourselves!
September 2, 2011
A co-worker friend of mine handed me a copy of this book about 20 years ago. Today is 2 Sept. 2011, and I believe it was in 1992 that this occurred. The book was not that great -- that is probably why I had forgotten to add it to my goodreads list until now. But, it was probably my introduction to nature writing -- a genre that I thoroughly enjoy when it is good and about things that really interest me.
July 30, 2013
I read this back in college and it is memorable all these years later. But for some reason I thought it was set in Alaska and was so impressed I wanted to visit Alaska which I did about 8 years ago. Funny how our memories play tricks on us!
April 4, 2015
I read this book when I was still in grade school. It was one of my favourites and I reread it often. I immersed myself in it.
Don't let your children read this. Tell them it is dangerous. They might end up on the Sea Shepard.
Don't let your children read this. Tell them it is dangerous. They might end up on the Sea Shepard.
June 24, 2009
Couldn't finish it. Essentially a series of short stories about different animals living on Beetle Rock.
July 9, 2010
Loved it. Original copyright 1943. Follows the life of nine different animals for a day. It tells how their lives intersect. Wonderful.
September 18, 2012
A non-speciesist fiction! Wonderous. I love how small the humans are in this story. Great for reading aloud.
December 19, 2025
This book was awesome! I'm a wildlife lover, and this book was well written and well-studied for. It was such a great picture into the life of the creatures of Sequoia National Park.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews