by Josie Iselin, illustrated by Ellen Litwiller
A vivdly illustrated primer on bull kelp forests sheds light on the critical role of this mysterious seaweed
Iselin and Litwiller reveal the incredible environmental significance of this bulbous tangle of seaswept wrack coughed up on ocean shorelines from Oxnard to Anchorage, that, all too often, we blithely take for granted.
by Sophie Wood Brinker
A painterly guide to Santa Cruz's winged neighbors
“Sophie Wood Brinker artfully shows us the importance of letting our curiosity get stuck in the webs that make up the natural world, and what we can learn by following the spiral threads that carefully link birds to the well-being of all living things. She invites us to enrich our lives by noticing these connections, and by finding inspiration from our feathered friends to fight for a better future for each and every one of our neighbors.” —MOLLY ADAMS, coauthor of Birding for a Better World and founder of the Feminist Bird Club
by Joanna Clines & Stephen Sharnoff
The ultimate guide to the plants of the Sierra Nevada
This photographic guide to the wildflowers of the Sierra Nevada has been over twenty-five years in the making, drawing together spectacular images by Stephen Sharnoff, the acclaimed photographer of Lichens of North America, and informative text by botanist Joanna Clines, who has decades of field experience and is a top authority on the region’s flowers. Comprehensive and deeply researched, it will help users identify 1,000 flowers found in California’s iconic mountain range, from our celebrated manzanitas and lovely lupines to tiny California popcorn flowers.
by Emily Taylor
A laugh out-loud guide to California's salamanders and frogs
Following her popular guides California Snakes and How to Find Them and California Lizards and How to Find Them (which was featured among the New York Times’ 2025 best niche field guides), herpetologist Emily Taylor brings readers California Amphibians and How to Find Them. Profiling over 50 native and introduced species, Taylor gives practical guidance for finding, watching, and responsibly catching amphibians, sharing hilarious descriptions of frog and salamander behavior along the way, and exploring the environmental challenges they face.
by Patrick Stadille
An all-ages guide to common bugs in a pocket-sized packaged
“Pat Stadille says early on in this whimsical new book, ‘Try replacing fear with curiosity.’ If you make that commitment here, you’ll be rewarded with quirky oddities, charming doodles, and solid science about overlooked details in a bug’s life. Stadille’s imagination shoots forth like original fireworks etching a new sky. Travel this sidewalk Serengeti, and you’ll find it impossible not to smile.” —LIAM O’BRIEN, author of Butterflies of the Bay Area (and Slightly Beyond)
Recommended Reads
Strong Female Figures
Women’s stories don’t just fill gaps in history—they transform it. This Women’s History Month, explore powerful narratives that challenge expectations and reclaim the record. In commemoration of Women’s History Month, receive 20% off these featured titles from Heyday—which include the memoirs of a 19th-century sex worker, the story of a Japanese American girl’s experience of wartime incarceration, and a daring Native American anti-heroine at the center of a forthcoming novel—with discount code HERSTORY20.
The Latest in News from Native California
This winter issue includes explorations of the invisibility of non-federally recognized tribes and new and forthcoming Indigenous-authored books, Julian Brave NoiseCat’s breakout debut among them, plus a tribute to Heyday founder and News from Native California co-creator, Malcolm Margolin (1940–2025).
Heyday is an independent publisher founded in 1974, headquartered in California. Over the last five decades, Heyday has dedicated itself to publishing books that delight in the Golden State’s natural splendor, explore its rich cultural history, amplify the voices of its first peoples, and advance social justice throughout the state and beyond. Since 1987, Heyday has also published the quarterly magazine News from Native California—celebrating Indigenous storytelling and culture-keeping. At Heyday, we believe that ideas matter, stories count, diversity of voices is crucial, and the book is still our best repository of knowledge and beauty.
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