Everglades

From BooklistGr. 2^-4. Though structured as a tale told to five children whom a storyteller has poled into the Everglades, the narrative focuses on the history of that unusual ecosystem. The narrator tells how the Everglades became "a living kaleidoscope of color and beauty," filled with plants and animals, and how human involvement has changed the ecology, devastating the area. Minor's handsome full-page paintings show what those earlier times must have looked like. When the children ask about what happened to the orchids, egrets, and alligators, the storyteller suggests that they can make a happy ending to the story when they grow up. Some of the interactions between humans and nature are oversimplified, but the artwork makes a convincing plea for an observant relationship with our surroundings. Mary Harris VeederProduct DescriptionDescribes the Florida Everglades, the evolution of this unique area, and the impact humans have had on its once-abundant life forms.From Publishers WeeklyNewbery Medalist George presents a haunting plea for the preservation of endangered ecosystems, a plea strengthened by Minor's majestic paintings. Poling a canoe through the Everglades, a man tells his five young passengers a story. Beginning with "the age of the Seashells," the narrator shows the children how the spillover from Lake Okeechobee became "a slow river that gleamed like quicksilver"; and how the "saw grass clattered like a trillion swords" when the wind blew. As he describes "all things large and small that make the Earth beautiful," full-spread art depicts the river's history, while medallions top text pages with symbols of the vanishing Everglades. When the storyteller details the wanton destruction of this habitat, the dispirited children request "a happy story." He then tells of how "five children and a storyteller poled into the Everglades" and "eventually the children grew up and ran the Earth." With her narrative skill and expertise as a naturalist, George adroitly avoids didacticism. A particularly persuasive environmental work. Ages 6-9.Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.From School Library JournalGrade 2-5 An Indian storyteller poles five children through the Everglades in his dugout, and in language as lush as the land of which he speaks, he tells them the story of the river of grass. He speaks with reverence, beginning eons ago, when there was only the sun and the sea, taking the story through the formation of land rich with lakes and rivers. His words, brimming with metaphor and simile, describe an abundant web of plant and animal life, thriving in "a living kaleidoscope of color and beauty." Minor's paintings, alive with color and detail, open a panoramic door into this idyllic past. The storyteller continues, describing the various peoples who passed through or lived gracefully in this place. So, the children wonder as they look around them, what happened to all that you describe Now his statements are stark as he describes how hunters, collectors, and finally developers pushed native species to the brink of extinction, or beyond. The listening children soberly ask for a happier tale and their guide describes a future in which they are in control. The story and the art create a mystical tale that flows from a serene start to a powerful conclusion. With the magic of Lynne Cherry's The Great Kapok Tree (Harcourt, 1990) and the strength of Chief Seattle's words in Brother Eagle, Sister Sky (Dial, 1991), this is a plea for conservation and a story eloquently told. Susan Oliver, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library SystemCopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.About the AuthorJean Craighead George has written many outstanding nature books for children, including the 1973 Newbery Medal-winning Julie of the Wolves, and Who Killed Cock Robin Her Eco Mysteries include The Case of the Missing Cutthroats, The Fire Bug Connection, and The Missing 'Gator of Gumbo Limbo. She lives in Chappa
Author: George, Jean Craighead

Publisher: Harpercollins Childrens Books

Binding: Hardcover

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0060212284

ISBN-13: 9780060212285