Canyon [Hardcover]

Eileen Cameron (Author), Michael Collier (Photographer)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

Water falls softly
In cold snow crystals
Onto the mountaintop...

So begins Eileen Cameron's poetic rendering of a canyon's creation. Cameron captures millions of years of geology in 38 thrilling lines as she follows the water's journey down from the mountaintop, gaining power and strength with each mile. "Drops that trickle through crannies", become a stream that "cascades through the rocks" and then a river that "crashes through boulders ... digging the river bed, steepening the cliffs." And the canyon is born.

Michael Collier's stunning photographs of the creeks, streams, waterfalls, rivers, grottos and canyons of the Colorado evoke the lyrical beauty and raw power of the canyon and the forces that create it.

Through their art, Cameron and Collier have conveyed to the young reader a feeling of awe and wonder for one of nature's most spectacular creations.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 5-Poetic text and stunning color photographs combine to form a lyrical and visual essay on water's journey from the sky, down the mountains, in the rivers, and finally forming a canyon. The first spread sets the majestic tone with the words "Water falls softly in cold snow crystals onto the mountaintop" and a breathtaking view of La Plata Mountains. (The geographic landmarks are identified at the end of the book.) The photographic composition of other spreads each artistically depicts one eloquent word-"sculpts," "forms," "shapes." This is a title for reading aloud to inspire an appreciation for the grandeur of nature.
Pamela K. Bomboy, Chesterfield County Public Schools, VA
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5, younger for reading aloud. In this picture book for older children, colorful landscapes accompany a short poem about water and the path it takes from clouds, over canyon walls, and into a river. The poetry is at times quite vivid ("with sandy razors of silt / it carves out the stone"), but it's the artwork that's the star. From rivulets streaming down rocks to sculpted pools of mud, Collier's photography touches the imagination. The perspective switches between close-ups and dizzying aerial shots, making the images both mysterious and abstract. Children will find themselves forced to stop and think about the scale and surface of what they're looking at. A closing spread includes a map of the Colorado River region to identify the location of each scene. Fine for reading aloud; the text and photos are also sure to spark discussion about the power of water to shape our world. Randy Meyer
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Mikaya Press (March 2, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931414033
• ISBN-13: 978-1931414036
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 7.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,629,599 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wondrous picturebook for young folks, May 17, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Canyon (Hardcover)

Elegantly written by Eileen Cameron, Canyon is a an especially beautiful picturebook designed for young beginning readers, and features Michael Collier's breathtaking photography of America's Grand Canyon. Cameron's simple, poetic, evocative thoughts are in completely in tune with the Grand Canyon's timeless natural splendor. A wondrous picturebook for young folks, with stunning photographs sure to cause readers of all ages to sit up and take notice, Canyon is very highly recommended for both school and community library picturebook collections for early readers.

5.0 out of 5 stars CANYON - Noted as one of the Best Books of 2002., February 11, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Canyon (Hardcover)

The Bank Street College's Children's Book Committee (New York) listed CANYON as one of the Best Books of the Year 2002.

Please see Bank Street College's Books of the Year - 2002 - (published Spring 2003).

Thank you

5.0 out of 5 stars EXTRAORDINARY!, August 21, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Canyon (Hardcover)

Moving, beautiful, evocative ... as one who lives in this area, the photos alone are well worth more than the price of the book. A really breathtaking result. Best of class.