"A Melanie Falick book."

How to make a teepee from plastic flowers -- How to make paper flowers -- How to make coffee logs to start a fire -- How to make a bonfire -- How to catch a frog -- How to save a drowning child (part I) -- How to help a bird build a nest -- How to make a warm bed -- How to swim a horse -- How to make cream of broccoli soup -- How to make a very warm pair of pants -- How to run away -- How to fend off a bear -- How to start a children's clothing company -- How to make sugar on snow -- How to save a drowning child (part II) -- How to eat fresh trout -- How to begin again -- How to have faith -- How to not turn into your mother -- How to make a home.

Stories of growing up in rural Vermont as part of an eccentric family of artists and idealists, which involved self-imposed poverty, innovative living, daily lessons in self-reliance, and a deep appreciation for the natural beauty of the environment.