Manlius man’s children’s book The Forest That Rains Frogs” now available in Spanish”

“The Forest That Rains Frogs,” a recently published children’s book by Dusty Rhoades Heer, of Manlius, is now available in Spanish.

Heer is director of the after-school program for lower school students at Manlius Pebble Hill School.

MPH Spanish teacher Silviana Medina-Dooher and Christopher Dooher collaborated with Heer to write “El Bosque Donde Llueven Ranas Coquí,” the Spanish translation of Heer’s story of Polvoroso, a coqui frog from the Puerto Rican rain forest. Polvoroso embarks on a dangerous and scary journey to rescue his friends who have been transported to a distant and unfamiliar island. The little frog’s story — a tale of adventure for children ages 7 to 12 — is one of courage, loyalty, and perseverance.

Heer, who delights in seeing the written word spark the imaginations of young children, says the book sprang from his interest in environmental issues, “in this instance the ways in which the coqui frogs from the rain forests of Puerto Rico have been mistreated on the Big Island of Hawaii. Through no fault of their own, they were transported in houseplants, declared an invasive species, and made a top priority for eradication.”

Both “The Forest That Rains Frogs” and “El Bosque Donde Llueven Ranas Coquí” are available online from Outskirts Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Ingram & Baker, and other booksellers.