Everglades [Paperback]

Jean Craighead George (Author), Wendell Minor (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 6 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up

A lyrical creation tale of the Florida Everglades with stunning landscapes by Wendell Minor.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Newbery Medalist George presents a haunting plea for the preservation of endangered ecosystems, a plea strengthened by Minor's majestic paintings. Poling a canoe through the Everglades, a man tells his five young passengers a story. Beginning with "the age of the Seashells," the narrator shows the children how the spillover from Lake Okeechobee became "a slow river that gleamed like quicksilver"; and how the "saw grass clattered like a trillion swords" when the wind blew. As he describes "all things large and small that make the Earth beautiful," full-spread art depicts the river's history, while medallions top text pages with symbols of the vanishing Everglades. When the storyteller details the wanton destruction of this habitat, the dispirited children request "a happy story." He then tells of how "five children and a storyteller poled into the Everglades" and "eventually the children grew up and ran the Earth." With her narrative skill and expertise as a naturalist, George adroitly avoids didacticism. A particularly persuasive environmental work. Ages 6-9.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5?An Indian storyteller poles five children through the Everglades in his dugout, and in language as lush as the land of which he speaks, he tells them the story of the river of grass. He speaks with reverence, beginning eons ago, when there was only the sun and the sea, taking the story through the formation of land rich with lakes and rivers. His words, brimming with metaphor and simile, describe an abundant web of plant and animal life, thriving in "a living kaleidoscope of color and beauty." Minor's paintings, alive with color and detail, open a panoramic door into this idyllic past. The storyteller continues, describing the various peoples who passed through or lived gracefully in this place. So, the children wonder as they look around them, what happened to all that you describe? Now his statements are stark as he describes how hunters, collectors, and finally developers pushed native species to the brink of extinction, or beyond. The listening children soberly ask for a happier tale and their guide describes a future in which they are in control. The story and the art create a mystical tale that flows from a serene start to a powerful conclusion. With the magic of Lynne Cherry's The Great Kapok Tree (Harcourt, 1990) and the strength of Chief Seattle's words in Brother Eagle, Sister Sky (Dial, 1991), this is a plea for conservation and a story eloquently told.?Susan Oliver, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (March 21, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064461947
• ISBN-13: 978-0064461948
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.7 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #250,034 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #10 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( G ) > George, Jean Craighead
  • #45 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Nature > Environment
  • #58 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Environment & Ecology > Nonfiction

More About the Author

Jean Craighead George was born in a family of naturalists. Her father, mother, brothers, aunts and uncles were students of nature. On weekends they camped in the woods near their Washington, D.C. home, climbed trees to study owls, gathered edible plants and made fish hooks from twigs. Her first pet was a turkey vulture. In third grade she began writing and hasn't stopped yet. She has written over 100 books.Her book, Julie of the Wolves won the prestigious Newbery Medal, the American Library Association's award for the most distinguished contribution to literature for children, l973. My Side of the Mountain, the story of a boy and a falcon surviving on a mountain together, was a 1960 Newbery Honor Book. She has also received 20 other awards.She attended Penn State University graduating with a degree in Science and Literature. In the 1940s she was a reporter for The Washington Post and a member of the White House Press Corps. After her children were born she returned to her love of nature and brought owls, robins, mink, sea gulls, tarantulas - 173 wild animals into their home and backyard. These became characters in her books and, although always free to go, they would stay with the family until the sun changed their behavior and they migrated or went off to seek partners of their own kind.When her children, Twig, Craig and Luke, were old enough to carry their own backpacks, they all went to the animals. They climbed mountains, canoed rivers, hiked deserts. Her children learned about nature and Jean came home and to write books. Craig and Luke are now environmental scientists and Twig writes children's books, too.One summer Jean learned that the wolves were friendly, lived in a well-run society and communicated with each other in wolf talk -- sound, sight, posture, scent and coloration. Excited to learn more, she took Luke and went to the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory in Barrow, Alaska, where scientists were studying this remarkable animal. She even talked to the wolves in their own language. With that Julie of the Wolves was born. A little girl walking on the vast lonesome tundra outside Barrow, and a magnificent alpha male wolf, leader of a pack in Denali National Park were the inspiration for the characters in the book. Years later, after many requests from her readers, she wrote the sequels, Julie and Julie's Wolf Pack.She is still traveling and coming home to write. In the last decade she has added two beautiful new dimensions to her words beautiful full-color picture book art by Wendell Minor and others and - music. Jean is collaborating with award-winning composer, Chris Kubie to bring the sounds of nature to her words.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Preserving the Past to Save the Future, September 8, 2008

By 

Renee Huskey "I learn something new every day." (Pacific Northwest) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Everglades (Paperback)

As the book's narrator, a Seminole Indian storyteller, poles a canoe filled with children, he begins by saying, "It's a story about a river... this river, the miraculous Everglades of Florida." In language rich in texture and color and metaphor (Lake Okeechobee was "a slow river that gleamed like quicksilver"), he tells the history of the Everglades from pristine past to precarious present. And while there is no denying the environmental focus of the book - illustrations and text both point to the impending destruction of the priceless habitat - the narrative never falls to sermonizing; it instead fosters genuine respect for the Everglades, and empowers its young readers to preserve and conserve.

Equal to the text, and at times surpassing it, Wendall Minor's rich and detailed paintings speak volumes in this beautifully illustrated book: Minor has taken a page from Audubon, carefully studying his subjects, and rendering them with fine attention to detail, all the while making it look effortless. Ultimately, this carefully choreographed dance between illustration and story gives readers, young and old, hope that they are the key to saving the Everglades for future generations. A truly beautiful book.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A 5th Grade's Class Review, October 17, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Everglades (Paperback)

We just finished reading EVERGLADES by Jean Craighead George. The storyteller was a great idea. His words really caught our attention. This book, even though it was about real life, read like a fictional story. We especially liked the way Ms. Craighead George used various synonyms to express just how many creatures were in the Everglades in the beginning. In addition to the colorful language, the incredible illustrations by Wendell Miner made the book come to life. Above all, we learned we should respect nature. A great reading experience!

5.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT RESOURCE, February 19, 2009

By 

J. "dan" (Miami, FL, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Everglades (Hardcover)

Purchased to have children who participated in a 3 day educational venture in the everglades donate to the library at the Everglades. Book very informative to children (grade 5) and as additional resource on premises.