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Jean Craighead George

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To Climb a Waterfall Hardcover – March 21, 1995

by Jean Craighead George (Author), Thomas Locker (Illustrator)

4.8 5 ratings

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Luminous oil paintings and an evocative text take young readers on an unforgettable journey through the wonders of nature as they make their way on a guided tour of the Hudson River Valley's Kaaterskill Falls.

From Publishers Weekly

In an opening Hudson River Valley scene of trees, mountains, water and mist, the reader is told "to climb a waterfall, go to the foot of the mountains." From there, an unnamed, barefoot child called "you" hikes up the course of a stream, through a trout pool and on up the canyon: "Turn over the rocks. If you are lucky you'll find a two-lined salamander." No salamander is visible, however; the creatures mentioned in the concise, detailed text often do not appear in the illustrations, dreamily beautiful landscapes viewed with awe from a distance. The use of the second person distances the reader still further. At the conclusion, for example, George (who collaborated with Locker on The First Thanksgiving) asserts that "the waterfall is now part of you." It's probably not a part of the reader, though, because Locker's sweeping oil paintings do not allow for the types of encounters with specific wood and stream creatures which fuel George's story. An unfortunate mismatch. Ages 4-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2?Written as a series of brief instructions on how to find and climb to the top of a waterfall, this illustrated nature walk seems to have a twofold purpose. First, it makes a natural phenomenon accessible to readers with little or no opportunity to explore the countryside. Also, it sets forth the idea that if one observes nature closely, its wonders become part of the observer's experiences that can be recalled at will (perhaps a new concept for many youngsters). Locker's lush, double-page oil landscapes show a barefoot girl following the water's path through canyon and forest and up ledges to the top of the falls. The book's major shortcoming is that many of the plants and animals mentioned in the text (water thrush and otter; starflower; two-lined salamander; "...water pennies that flatten themselves against the rocks to withstand the current"; "...caddis fly youngsters that hang with threads they spin to the rocks") are not shown. Perhaps George's title will inspire children to search the library's natural-science section to get a look at them.?Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 6^-9. Nature-lover George offers clear yet lyrical directions for climbing a waterfall. Beginning at the foot of the mountains, she suggests following the stream upwards, past the trout pond and the tumbling cascades, to the very top. At several points along the trail, she calls attention to the plants and animals that live in this ecosystem, including water pennies, caddis flies, two-lined salamanders, and hemlock trees. She encourages hikers to look and listen carefully, so they will become one with nature. Locker's elegant, lush oil paintings complement George's poetic text and do justice to New York's Kaaterskill Falls. He makes particularly effective use of light to emphasize the water's path. An excellent model for creative-writing classes, this will also be useful for urging children to be more observant of nature. Kay Weisman

Reading age

5 - 8 years
Print length

32 pages
Language

English
Grade level

1 - 2
Dimensions

9.5 x 0.5 x 11.25 inches
Publisher

Philomel
Publication date

March 21, 1995
ISBN-10

0399226737
ISBN-13

978-0399226731
See all details

Lenny Hort
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Paperback
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Philomel; Ex-library/first Impression edition (March 21, 1995)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 32 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0399226737
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0399226731
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 5 - 8 years
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 1 - 2
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.5 x 0.5 x 11.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,932,654 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #14,332 in Children's Nature Books (Books)
- #77,993 in Children's Literature (Books)

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4.8 5 ratings

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Jean Craighead George

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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.

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L. Farrell

Forever my favorite...

Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2001

This is more a beautiful poem than a story book. With it's short and sweet wording you feel like you can hear the sounds, feel the breeze, and smell the scents surrounding the waterfall as if you are there. And with the beautiful full page illustrations, you are there! What serenity! I highly recommend this book and not only for children.

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To Climb a Waterfall Hardcover – March 21, 1995

From Publishers Weekly

From School Library Journal

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Jean Craighead George

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