Everyone knows and loves the wonderful works of the writer Viktor Petrovich Astafiev. His textbook stories and stories dedicated to the harsh northern nature and people of Siberia “Vasyutkino Lake”, “Strizhonok Skrip”, “Kapalukha”, “Belogrudka” and many others do not need to be introduced: they are taught in school. Our book will give children and adults a unique opportunity - to read them with comments from a biologist, find answers to the most frequently asked questions and take a fresh look at the natural world around us!