This Place Is Lonely: The Australian Outback (Imagine Living Here) [Paperback]

Vicki Cobb (Author), Barbara Lavallee (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1994 | Age Level: 7 and up | Series: Imagine Living Here

Can you imagine living in a place so big, with the people so scattered, that school lessons are broadcast over the radio, and you may not see anyone but your family for weeks? That is what it is like to live in Australia's vast outback, a beautiful and remote region. "Visually striking . . ."--Kirkus Reviews. Full color.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5-- This entry in the series looks at the isolated outback area of Australia. The rich earth-toned illustrations provide a sense of the remoteness there, although some pictures are too stylized to depict accurately the unique animals of the region. The color of the sheep's coat and the feathers of the emu and cassowary appear to be predominately blue. No ethnic diversity is portrayed, with the exception of one page that discusses the aborigines. Cobb's sentence structure is occasionally stilted, and the factual information will serve primarily as supplemental material with titles such as Dolce's Australia (Chelsea House, 1990). Purchase where other books in the series are popular or where picture-book information on Australia is needed.
- Jeanette Larson, Mesquite Public Library, TX
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

Nearly a third of this addition to the ``Imagine Living Here'' series describes life in the Australian outback, where ``a mid-sized station with eight thousand sheep is two hundred square miles.'' Cobb states that ``If you lived on the outback of Australia, the only people you would see every day would be your own family''; indeed, the illustration shows a man shearing by hand with just his wife and two children assisting. Is it possible for two adults to shear 8000 sheep without assistance? Balance is a problem throughout; e.g., only one page discusses aboriginal people, while Captain Cook rates three. And, though decorative, the landscapes are so stylized as to be useless for identification, while not only sheep but the platypus, emu, and spiny anteater are all sky blue. Visually striking, but this adds little to the understanding of flora, fauna, or people. (Nonfiction. 8-10) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers (May 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0802774156
• ISBN-13: 978-0802774156
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.1 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,414,196 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.