From School Library Journal
Grade 3-6-In his fourth river book, Lourie tours the "slow-moving swamp that is in fact a huge, silent river" covering a vast area of southern Florida. Written in the first person, this account tells of his encounter with some of the unique people and threatened nature of the Everglades. He is accompanied by Buffalo Tiger, a Miccosukee Indian and former chief of his tribe, who now guides visitors through the labyrinthine expanse of sawgrass. In addition, the man also serves as an interpreter of the spirit and native heritage of the beautiful region. And that, in essence, is the heart of this compelling book: Buffalo Tiger introduces Lourie to the old ways, based upon his tribal beliefs, originating with the god Breathmaker, that have gradually vanished over time. Simultaneously, he demonstrates a modern awareness of the area's environmental decline. This title reads more like a story than exposition as the two men explore some of Buffalo's cherished spots on an airboat. Finally, the author spends a night alone camping on a hammock (island) in the middle of the glades. It is a terrifying, mystical, and enlightening experience, all of which is captured vividly in his description of the creature-filled night. This is an engrossing and moving narrative, clearly presented and liberally supported with full-color photographs.
Valerie Lennox, Jacksonville Public Library, FLCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Gr. 4-7. Lourie has a specialty--good books about great rivers (the Amazon, the Hudson, and the Yukon). He now adds the Everglades, the "River of Grass," to the list, bringing readers up close through the story of one Miccosukee Indian, Buffalo Tiger, who works as a guide to the area. But Lourie has Buffalo Tiger doing more than simply pointing out sites. A former Miccosukee chief, Buffalo Tiger also provides insight into what the Everglades has meant to his people. This focus on human history is especially apt given the real estate development of south Florida that has so affected the region. Lourie spends perhaps too much time trying to recapture the history of the area (he even stays overnight alone on Tear Island, where Buffalo Tiger grew up), but his overall mixture of natural and social history is excellent. The book will be a fine prelude to trips to Florida and a great reminder that not everything in the vicinity has been arranged by Disney.
Mary Harris Veeder
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
