From Publishers Weekly
Bash adds to her Tree Tales series with a remarkable exploration of the old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest. Scientific information is presented in simple, poetic language that suggests the sounds and sights of the forest ("Bark beetles chew under the bark, engraving delicate galleries where they deposit their eggs"). The design, in which blocks of calligraphy-like text are set against sweeping spreads, permits leisurely wandering through the forest realms, from the bustling byways of a treetop canopy to the teeming waters of a stream. Lush watercolors depict the forest and its denizens, spotted salamanders and golden banana slugs along with the red tree voles and flying squirrels that make their homes in giant Douglas firs. Insets showing insects and fungi (magnification sizes are given) provide windows onto an otherwise hidden world. The gentle ending, in which wildfires and the felling of fir trees allow for the growth of new saplings, beautifully affirms the concept of a cycle of life. Ages 6-10.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Grade 2-6-A wondrous walk through an old-growth forest in the Pacific Northwest. As readers enter the cathedral quietness of the Douglas fir-dominated landscape, the unique ecosystem and its varied components are revealed, from the trees themselves, with their peculiar and long life cycle, to the myriad creatures that inhabit the lush environment. Pileated woodpeckers, brown bats, flying squirrels, red tree voles, and, of course, the spotted owl are introduced and placed in context. Delving deeper, the insects and even the microorganisms that are an integral part of this remarkable world are delineated. Children will be drawn into the text by having to search the oversized pictures for the animals and plants being discussed. Deeply toned watercolors reflect the darkness of this shaded but richly alive biome. Their clarity and detail make them supremely suited for the journey described. This book delivers its message in an appended "Author's Note." Bash makes it clear that a forest isn't just a group of trees-it is a well-defined, interdependent system of organisms that relies on a unique set of circumstances to continue to exist. Reading Ancient Ones is truly the next best thing to being there.
Steve Matthews, Foxcroft School, Middleburg, VACopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
