A Caribou Alphabet [Hardcover]

Mary Beth Owens (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up

An alphabet book depicting the characteristics and ways of caribou.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Owens was inspired to create this book by the Caribou Project in Maine, which reintroduces animals into the wild. Owens's ABC is lightly informational, and a glossary at the back fleshes out the the facts that, given the constraints of rhyming couplets, can be a little obscure. For example, for U and V , "An ungulate's hooves help on every terrain/ Itchy velvet rubs off and strong antlers remain" would be tough going for those just mastering the alphabet, but then, this is really just an organizational device. More important are the graceful portraits that emerge of these beasts, clustered around letters and set against moonlit backdrops and snowy plains. Owens uses a stippling technique to render realistic paintings on creamy paper. Far more than an ABC, this is an ode to the caribou, lovingly done and resonant in its execution. All ages.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3 In spite of the title, this is not a traditional alphabet book, but rather an ABC of caribou facts, inspired by the work of the Maine Caribou Transplant Project, a privately funded organization attempting to reintroduce the caribou into the wilds of northern Maine. But, more than just an environmental tract, this is, in fact, quite a handsome book. Each pair of upper- and lower-case letters is set squarely in the center of the page, adorned by an appropriate illustration and surrounded by generous amounts of white space. The illustrations have a stippled and stylized effect, suggestive of cave paintings, and manage to be both expressive and graceful while they inform. Rhymed couplets strain to interpret the letters on each double-page spread (An ungulate's hooves help on every terrain/ Itchy velvet rubs off and strong antlers remain''), a flaw that is somewhat relieved by ``A Caribou Compendium'' that elaborates on information introduced in the text. An unorthodox approach to the subject, and one that is not entirely successful. Still, this is an unusually attractive and, ultimately, informative book, certain to engage young readers and instill in them a feeling of respect for these lovely creatures and their environment. Marcia Hupp, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, Conn.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 34 pages
• Publisher: Tilbury House Pub; 1st edition (September 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0937966258
• ISBN-13: 978-0937966259
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,488,298 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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