From Publishers Weekly
Proceeds from the sale of this delightfully variegated volume will benefit six environmental groups, and any child or adult who browses through these pages will also profit--from the many eloquent, trenchant statements issued through words, art or an inspired blending of the two. An introduction by the editors stresses "that what the Earth needs is more clean water, fresh air, trees, bats, whales, and mushrooms--and less garbage, traffic, and pollution." This point is made a number of times with a varying degree of clarity and effectiveness, from Tana Hoban's brief, forthright plea to "take time to care," illustrated with six simple nature photos; to H. M. Hoover's rather obscure fable about an ancient, giant mushroom over which a mall is built. Natalie Babbitt, Marilyn Sachs and William Sleator are among those who deliver their messages with generous doses of wry humor; Anne Rockwell, Jane Yolen and Tomie dePaola present poems; and Milton Meltzer, Seymour Simon and Laurence Pringle offer concise pieces on, respectively, the accomplishments of Frederick Law Olmsted, wetlands, and bats. As diverse as these contributions is the artwork by an equally prominent group of illustrators, among them Barbara Cooney, Leo and Diane Dillon, Diane Goode, Steven Kellogg, Jerry Pinkney and Paul O. Zelinsky. The assembled talent proves equal to its mission. All ages.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 2-5-A collection of new poems, stories, and artwork on the theme of environmental protection, contributed by over 40 well-known authors and illustrators. Unlike many books of this ilk, the reading level is fairly even from piece to piece, and text and pictures are nicely interdependent-particularly Natalie Babbitt's "The Last Days of the Giddywit," with Steven Kellogg's ironic portraits of the slovenly prehistoric tribe; Ruth Heller's dazzling selection on jellyfish; and the Dillons' haunting melange of images accompanying Joanne Ryder's poem about deer. Art and photographs are reproduced in sharp, vibrant colors. Selections vary in length from 1 to 10 pages, and nonfiction mingles naturally with the stories and poetry. Laurence Pringle adds an essay on bats, Seymour Simon on wetlands, and Milton Meltzer on Frederick Law Olmstead and New York City's Central Park. Consistently lively and readable, this collection delivers its message in imaginative, and therefore effective, ways. Readers who dip or dive into it will emerge with a feeling for both the strength and the fragility of nature, as well as an enhanced awareness of their responsibilities to this planet.
John Peters, New York Public LibraryCopyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.