BOOK REVIEWS

4 ON THIS PAGE

NEARER NATURE

BY JIM ARNOSKY

Jim Arnosky is a writer and artist living on a small farm in Vermont. In this book he takes us on a tour of his farm and woods in a seven month period from December to June.

Arnosky spends many hours in the outdoors observing nature. His keen eye for detail takes us on a journey with fox, beaver, mouse, muskrat, mink, river otter, and many more creatures as well as a variety of plants.

I found him to be an expert in the art of using words to paint a picture. He has the ability to describe events in a way that brings forth clear images to the reader.

This book is not as much a story as it is an observation. Given that, I found it difficult at first to pay attention. At times, it is on the edge of being dry and I almost gave up on it. At some point, though, Arnosky won me over and I was swept up in his discoveries of the many natural mysteries he ran into in his wanderings.

I'm glad I stayed with, it for the wealth of information in this book was well worth the extra effort. This book is recommended for ages 9 to 12. I think 9 to adult would be more accurate.

You can purchase this book at Powells.com. NEARING NATURE

OLD TURTLE

By Douglas Wood

The Old Turtle listens in on a discussion from various creations of nature, including rocks, animals, plants, wind and stars. They each argue that they are the one that manifests God.

Then Old Turtle speaks, giving a very moving dissertation showing how God is present in ALL things, great and small. This is an awesome story. If you would like to teach a child a way to see God, I recommend this book.

The illustrations are realistically rendered by true master of watercolors, Cheng-Khee-Chee.

You can purchase this book at Powells.com. OLD TURTLE

TRACKS IN THE WILD

BY BETSY BOWEN

This book consists of journals of over a dozen birds and animals. Each page is packed with interesting information on the habits and diets of these critters.

There are also many good teachings on how to understand tracking. It is a book one can enjoy reading more than once.

You can purchase this book at Powells.com. TRACKS IN THE WILD

I WONDER WHY THE WIND BLOWS

BY ANITA GANERI

This book is recommended for ages 5-8. Although it covers many fascinating topics, I wonder if it would capture and hold the attention of these younger children.

It seemed to read like a school text book. For example, regarding the question, "Where are the highest mountains," the book gives a list of several mountains with comparisons of their height. As I read it, I wondered if the average five year old would be able to comprehend 29,000 feet, etc.

Personally, I would not buy this book for younger children. However, I believe an older child might enjoy and learn from it.

You can purchase this book at Powells.com. I WONDER WHY THE WIND BLOWS