Customer Reviews

Loon at Northwood Lake (Smithsonian's Backyard)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The illustrations are strictly naturalistic and yet expressive. The artist is obviously a birdwatcher and knows how to render these beautiful creatures from any angle. The story is engaging for adults and children. We've read this many times and it is often requested.

What an engaging, well written and beautifully illustrated book. The general summery has been written in the Library Journal Review, what I add to it is how the illustrations and text are so well married you (and your child) will be drawn in to the chilly waters of Northwood Lake on the first page. The text is nice and large, about a 12 or even 14 so early readers don't have to struggle. Vocabulary is simple for early readers but the interest level it higher. The final page has a brief history of the Loon, a short glossary and a very unique "Points of Interest in this Book" which acts as an index. Highly recommended for early readers, natural history buffs, gift book etc., Loved it.

I only gave one star, not for the book but for Amazon. I ordered this book twice I didn't receive the cassette that goes along with the book. Here's whats given in the description," This realism is matched in the accompanying cassette, which contains not only the lyrical voice of Alexi Komisar as narrator, but background noises, such as loon calls and the sounds of wings flapping." I tried calling CS only to get someone who didn't know what a cassette was until I said, "it's what you used to listen to music on before CD's." And then the CS rep continued to call it a " cartridge". The CS rep said they would put a note in my second order to verify there was a "cartridge" before shipping. The second book came and no cartridge. Just tired of trying to get in touch with someone who knew what I was talking about, a book with a cassette so I'm keeping the book....wondering what loon calls and wing flapping sounds like.