 A little brown bat story, written by Melissa Kim, illustrated by Jada Fitch. One day in late September, a little brown bat was sleeping. He was cozy in his daytime roost. As the sun set, the bat woke up and looked around. His day was just beginning. The bat went out hunting. In one hour, he ate almost a thousand mosquitoes. Some mosquitoes can carry diseases that make people sick. Some insects can harm crops. The bat did not know it, but he was doing an important job. He took a rest, then went out and ate some more. He rested with other bats to stay warm. Eat, rest, repeat. It was cold that night. The bat flew far away to a deep cave. He joined other bats going into the cave. It was time to hibernate, rest, and sleep for the winter. The bat wanted to huddle with the other bats to get warm. But there were not as many bats in the cave as usual. Some of the bats woke up. Something was making them sick. They flew out of the cave. The little brown bat did not see them again. The bat slept through the winter. While he slept, scientists worked. They wanted to find out what was making the other bats sick. The little brown bat woke up in the spring. He flew back to his summer home. Now, it is time for him to do his job. He is ready to eat more mosquitoes and other insects. People are at work, too. They study bats and caves. They help make their neighborhoods safe for bats.