"A metaphysical journey for all ages"

"An inspirational story!"

"An original view of the ecology of Yosemite!"

elcome! I would like to introduce you to Spotty. She is a insecure, lost adolescent bat living in the foothills of California's gold-rush country. A mystical Crow leads her on a hero's journey to explore Yosemite Valley, conquer self and insecurities and find her destiny.

I wrote this fable to to educate people about bats and to express how I feel about Yosemite and the joy of soaring flight. I also wanted the book to show a sensitive understanding of the challenges of learning who we are.

Come soar with Spotty!

Ken Renshaw

About the Book

Yosemite Valley is a grand exhibition of the mythical spirits of Earth, Fire, Water and Air in action, creating and renewing the Valley.

Spotty Bat soars to be transformed by these Spirits. He learns Courage, Persistence, and Conviction.

It is an inspirational fable of a search for identity, self-esteem and love.

Your whole family will enjoy this
classical hero's journey.

potty is living a comfortable life but yearns for more- she wishes she could fly like a crow and hungers to be in a community of bats like herself. She has an inner voice who continually advises her she is inferior and should not attempt anything out of the ordinary.

A mystical crow appears and teaches Spotty the secret of soaring flight and leads her to Yosemite Valley. Here her high-flying soaring adventures introduce Spotty to the Spirits of Rock, Water, Air and Fire which are at work shaping the great granite valley. The crow shows her how the Spirits can teach her courage, persistence and conviction. She is transformed and becomes a leader of bats by teaching them soaring flight. She finds community and love.

The story soars on the metaphor of flight. Ultimately this is a fable about seeking your individual purpose in life in spite of those inner voices who advise otherwise. It is a story of learning about using the forces outside of self to soar and explore life without struggle.

The pen drawings by Robert "Rosey" Rosenthal provide just the right illustrations for the story and show us how these often maligned animals can be quite endearing.

Adolescents will find this inspirational book especially engaging. It shows them how to look for answers outside of themselves and conquer self-doubt and insecurities.

Praise for The Yosemite Adventure of Spotty Bat:

This an excellent book for both kids and adults about bats, flight, and the spirituality and beauty of nature. There is an underlying theme of conquering self-doubt and insecurities while rising above and realizing self-confidence, allowing one to genuinely interact with others and share in the greatest feeling of all - love. There are several references to Yosemite Valley landmarks and features, making this book probably most enjoyable to those familiar with Yosemite Valley. I have never been there, but still thoroughly enjoyed the book. As one who has struggled with self-doubt and insecurities throughout my childhood, adolescent years, and even as an adult, this book was very meaningful to me and touched me emotionally (I admit I had tears in my eyes after reading it!). I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in bats, Yosemite Valley, flight, and generally uplifting stories about searching for and finding self-confidence and self-love while opening the portal for sharing genuine love with nature and others. Drew Stokes, a bat biologist/nature enthusiast (AMAZON Review)

"A delightfull story. I bought two more copies for my grandchildren."

"I was inspired by this book. It is the 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull' for this generation."

"After seeing Yosemite Valley through Spotty's eyes, I will never look at Yosemite the same way. Now, I see the ancient forces of Fire, Earth, Water and Air at play."

"An endearing bat book that is also a great educational tool. Wonderfully illustrated and hard to put down!"

"I highly recommend this book. It was just wonderful. I loved everything about it: the story, the message, the illustrations, and the educational value."

"It has an inspiring message, and wonderful illustrations. The story and illustrations gave me a whole new view of bats. It would be great for reading to children and grandchildren as well"

"There is magic in these pages. Let yourself soar with Spotty!"

Quotes From Grammer School Readers

"The Spotty Bat is very adventurous and taught me things I did not knowabout bats"
B.M, 5th grade, Cambria, CA

"I liked Spotty Bat. It had lots of adventures. It was fun to read."
S.R, 3rd grade, Cambria,CA

"I really liked it. I thought it was very interesting and it taught me stuff. It kept my attention."
E.B, 6th grade, Cambria,CA

"It is a fun story for Grammar School Kids."
A. R, 7th grade, Cambria,CA

A Note From the Author

Sample: Chapter 5
Spirits of Rock and Water

s she slept, she heard a voice. It was not Voice or Crow. It was not a voice in a high pitch that she could hear with her ears. It was a low grumbly, grinding, gravelly, crunching voice she heard in her head and felt over her whole body. It said:

I am the Spirit of Earth, of Rock. Here, I show myself as granite (rumble-rumble, grind). I am the beginning. I came first. I am the source of soil which feeds life (crunch-grind, crunch). I am the mountains which rise from the ocean and force the winds to carry snow to my peaks (rumble-crack, rumble). I am the mountains that force the streams to flow to the sea. I am the cliffs that warm the air that rises (grind-grind, snap). I am unity and stability. Only other spirits can change me (crunch-grind, rumble).