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The BookPeople of Moscow hosted a book party in-store, where author Annette Bay Pimentel read and talked about her non-fiction children’s book that tells the story of the people involved in the creation of the National Park Service.

“Mountain Chef: How One Man Lost His Groceries, Changed His Plans, and Helped Cook up the National Park Service” is told from a Chinese-American trail cook Tie Sing’s perspective.

He was hired by the rich Stephen Mather to feed 30 important people, including opinion makers, on a lobbying camping trip in the wilderness for 10 days. Tie Sing needed them to see why national parks had to be protected.

“Very often we think of our institutions, especially in American history, as having been created by powerful white men,” Pimentel said. “I think that’s a misunderstanding of what happened.”

Pimentel believes that it is crucial for Americans to recognize that we are not a “monolithic nation,” and people who come from different backgrounds have helped create the many institutions that remain essential to society today.

“It’s easy to forget the people who weren’t powerful enough to have records about them,” Pimentel said. “It does a real disservice in our understanding of American history.”

Stephen Mather would not have been as successful in passing the National Park Service Act without the help of Tie Sing and many others, and that’s an important aspect of history, Pimentel said.

Pimentel hopes children are able to see themselves in and are inspired by this picture book, and Tie Sing’s persistence, which was a major contribution in the creation of the National Park Service founded in 1915.

“I like finding people who are lost in the corners of history and pulling them out,” Pimentel said. “(Tie Sing) faced discrimination and logistical disasters and persisted and did remarkable things.”

There is a mountain in Yosemite National Park named after Tie Sing, recognizing his involvement as a trail cook on the excursions.

Carol Spurling, co-owner of the BookPeople of Moscow, brings authors into her store who inspire and educate children and adults about the process of writing a book.

“Her book in particular is great because it is a true, historical story of great interest out here in the West,” Spurling said.

Pimentel has lived in many parts of the world with her family and now is settled down in Moscow. She has always enjoyed reading children’s book, and this is her first story based on an original idea.

“I want children to learn at a very young age,” Spurling said, “that writing a book is a cool thing to do.”