From School Library Journal
Preschool-Grade 2--"An icy wind howls off the eastern coast of Canada. It races over dark, frigid water in the Gulf of St. Lawrence-." So begins this lovely, simple story about Seal Pup, a young harp seal born on an ice floe off the coast of Canada. By using straightforward text, author Kathleen M. Hollenbeck manages to impart a lot of information about the life of a harp seal. The simple, unsentimental text and the beautiful accompanying illustrations will help children empathize with the young seal who manages to successfully fend for herself after she is left on her own at the age of two weeks. Current curriculum guidelines have led to an increased need for information books for very young children. The accompanying read-along cassette includes the text of the story and sound effects which bring an added sense of realism to the story. A useful addition to school and public library collections.
Susan Price, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an alternate
Hardcover
edition.
Reviewed with Wendy Pfeffer's
Mallard Duck at Meadow View Pond.
Ages 4-8. Illustrated with attractive, realistic paintings, these titles in the Smithsonian Backyard series follow their animal subjects through a year, from birth to independence. Although classified as fiction, the series' focus is on the facts, not the stories. Zeroing in on one animal, each spread offers information about the birth process, diet, parenting, and development of new skills. The art brings readers up close to the animals and their worlds: children see the ducks at pond level, for example. Neither book shies away from the dangers of predators and the harsh realities of separating from a parent; in fact, Islands draws these aspects out a bit too long and tends toward unnecessarily flowery prose in places. But Mallard offers a well-balanced read, and both books introduce basic animal facts in an engaging, memorable format. For larger collections. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to an alternate
Hardcover
edition.
