These are some of the whimsical details that careful observers will spot in the mural by Underhill artist Kristin Richland that was officially unveiled last night in the children's section of Phoenix Books Burlington. It's part of Children's Book Week (May 1 to 7), which the store will also celebrate with a special story time on Saturday devoted to Adam Rubin and Daniel Salmieri's Dragons Love Tacos.

DeSanto asked Richland, whom he had known "for quite a while," to show him some drawings. The artist, 40, had never done a mural before, but her fanciful prints of animals, which she sells under the name Sweet Enemy Art, have made "people say I should illustrate children's books," she said.

Richland designed the mural last summer and began painting in October, perched atop a scaffolding 10 to 12 feet high. She took a break for the busy holiday season and finished by March.

Although she's not really finished — a mural of a fiery phoenix for a different wall is still to come. And Richland is now on the Phoenix staff, as a bookseller at the local chain's Essex store.

Winding across the three walls enclosing the store's section for younger readers, the mural consists of six separate scenes. Two are pastorals, in which animals enjoy books with views of trees and Camel's Hump. The others depict prominent Burlington locations: the Winooski Bridge (with the Champlain Mill, once home to DeSanto and Reiner's store the Book Rack and Children's Pages, in the background),  City Hall Park, the Church Street Marketplace and Edmunds Middle School.
In the Church Street panel, protestors in front of City Hall bear signs touting the importance of reading and supporting indie stores. It's a fitting message for 

Phoenix, which has expanded to two more locations (in Rutland and Chester) since the Burlington store opened and was a finalist for Publishers Weekly's Bookstore of the Year award in 2016.

"You read it like a story," said Richland of her mural. "I'm basically illustrating a book right here."