Discusses the history, physical characteristics, behavior, and habitat of the small deer that have lived for hundreds of years in the Florida Keys, as well as threats to their continued existence.

The graceful, little key deer lives in the Florida Keys. Readers will learn more about these deer, how they became endangered, and what conservation groups are doing to help them make a comeback.

This Christmas adventure hopes to bring attention to the endangered Key deer as it explores the amazing Florida Key islands and introduces some of the animals that make these islands their home. In the beautiful Florida Keys on Christmas Eve, Santa is stranded. One of his reindeer lost a magical bell and without the bell, the reindeer are struggling to fly. But Winnie McKee, a tiny Key deer, hopes to save Christmas with the help of her animal friends. In Key West, a rooster helps Winnie McKee find the magical bell and then introduces her to a manatee that takes her to the National Key Deer Refuge in Big Pine. She then gets the assistance of two dolphins to make it across Seven Mile Bridge to Marathon. Once there, a tricky hawk tries to steal the magical bell, but then decides to help Winnie McKee in an effort to get on Santa's nice list. On a fishing boat from Marathon to Islamorada, Winnie McKee meets a crab who helps her get passage to Key Largo on a raft with some friendly sea turtles. Finally, Winne McKee meets Santa at the Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo, where he exclaims, "Christmas is saved! Thank you, Winnie McKee! Who would have known that the tiniest deer would have the bravest heart. This Key deer saved Christmas!"

In the sunny Florida Keys, where the skies are always blue, the waters calm, and the breezes warm, lives a tiny Key deer named Winnie McKee. At just a foot tall, she may be small, but her heart is as big as the ocean. Through her adventure, Winnie shows that size does not matter when it comes to having a big heart and making a difference in the Florida Keys. One day, while Winnie was munching on leaves at the Key Deer Refuge in Big Pine, two distressed manatees approached her. They were searching for their lost friend, Marty the Manatee. It turns out Marty had wandered off on an adventure of his own and was in trouble. Determined to help, Winnie embarks on a quest through the Florida Keys to find Marty and reunite him with his worried family. She meets some quirky and helpful friends along the way, from Armand the pie-loving rooster in Key West to a friendly hawk on Seven Mile Bridge, and even a pair of dolphins in Marathon. With their assistance, Winnie tracks down Marty and prevents a dangerous situation. But Winnie's adventure does not end there. In Islamorada, she discovers some newly hatched baby sea turtles who are disoriented by porch lights. With Marty's help, they guide the little sea turtles back to the safety of the ocean. In this adventure, Winnie McKee faces multiple challenges that she overcomes with the help of her Florida Key friends. They save Marty the Manatee and also some baby sea turtles, demonstrating how we can protect our precious wildlife by working together. Winnie McKee also sees how her tiny size does not reflect her brave heart. Together, the friends then celebrate their successful rescue with a slice of Key lime pie in the heart of Mallory Square, where the sunsets are as sweet as their victory. "Friends in the Keys are the best indeed!" Follow Winnie McKee on this exciting adventure through the Florida Keys.

A Garden & Gun Best Book of 2020 “Witty and passionate.” —Lauren Groff “Craig Pittman has a remarkable talent for telling stories set in the Sunshine State that never fail to fascinate and entertain.”—Gilbert King “The definitive book on one of America’s least understood apex predators. The story of how Florida’s panthers were saved from extinction is one that both deserves and needs to be told.” —Dane Huckelbridge The captivating tale of the Florida panther, its survival and rescue from extinction With novelistic detail and an eye for the absurd, Craig Pittman recounts the extraordinary story of the people who brought the panther back from the brink of extinction, the ones who nearly pushed the species over the edge, and the cats that were caught in the middle. This being Florida, there's more than a little weirdness, too. An engrossing narrative of wry humor, sharp writing and exhaustive reportage, Cat Tale shows what it takes to bring one species back and what unexpected costs such a decision brings.