From School Library Journal
Grade 1-3-An intriguing tale of survival that is based on a true story. While making their way down Idaho's Salmon River, Axel, Uncle Paul, and Aunt Charlotte suddenly find themselves surrounded by raging forest fires. Heat lightning ignites dry pine needles and with the wind changing direction, "-the many fires hurricaned into one thundering fire storm." As the drama unfolds, the family watches the "orange wall of flame" and hears trees that "exploded like rifle shots." Uncle Paul, an experienced forester, advises them to stay in the middle of the river, and Aunt Charlotte hands out wet bandannas to tie over their faces. Axel proves to be an accomplished adventurer himself, and finds a safe, burned-out campsite. Although saddened by the "smoldering trees and smoking stumps," he gets a lesson on regeneration and is assured that the forest is "not lost-.Just altered. It will come back and be healthier." Minor's realistic pencil-crayon illustrations capture the rugged landscape of cliffs and sloping mountains. The story is related calmly and with reverence for nature.
Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, CanadaCopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Gr. 2-4, younger for reading aloud. On a float trip, Axel, his dog Grits at his side, paddles his kayak while his aunt and uncle travel in an inflatable raft. Although the fire warden tells them not to worry about forest fires, three days into the trip they see fire on "the other side of the mountain." Lightning starts new fires, and smoke soon fills the river canyon. "We should get out of here," says Uncle Paul, but he deems departure too risky. Then, even though Uncle Paul insists the fire won't burn on their side of the river, the wind changes and the fire jumps. Children will be taken by the drama of the events, which eventually turn out fine, but they may wonder about the adults' judgment (and why the adults are in a raft and Axel is alone in his kayak). Minor's dramatic red-and-orange pictures underscore the danger, but it's not always easy to visualize where the fire is. Larger libraries may want this to fill a need for books about outdoor adventures, but both the story and the art could have been tightened.
Ilene CooperCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
