Name a good wood for a beginning wood carving project?
Basswood is a tree that grows in North America that is particularly good for a first wood carving project.  The reason?  It is soft enough to be easy to work, but hard enough that it will let you get detail and is reasonably hard to break when you are still learning what you are doing.  It responds well to a simple knife or to more advanced woodworking tools like gauges.  It's also a light color which looks nice unpainted, but it also is nice to paint.  Last, it is relatively inexpensive when compared with woods like Walnut or Cherry.