Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 2-5, younger for reading aloud. The team that created Friendship across Arctic Waters: Alaskan Cub Scouts Visit Their Soviet Neighbors (1991) offers an inviting look at our forty-ninth state. Following the seasons from one winter to the next, Murphy touches on climate, wildlife, and typical activities of Alaskan children. She distinguishes three groups of native peoples (Aleut, Eskimo, and Indian) and describes the wide variety of lifestyles (ranging from life in the city to living in remote cabins) available to Alaskans. Mason's intriguing, sharply reproduced, full-color photos appear on every page and capture the essence of the Alaskan experience. His subjects range from people and wildlife to glacial lakes, eerie northern lights, huge vegetables, and a time-lapse display of the sun on the shortest day of the year. Small color drawings, mostly of native flora and fauna, add further interest. Although it is aimed more at browsers than at report writers, this will make an excellent source for units on Alaska. For another look at Alaska, see Kroll's The Seasons and Someone, also reviewed in this issue. ~--Kay WeismanNON-BOXED REVIEWS
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6-A combination of photographs, illustrations, and text mix and mingle on each page of this lovely volume to create a kaleidoscope of verbal and visual impressions about Alaska's landforms, wildlife, and people. Murphy describes the area's vastness and uniqueness, and presents geography, history, culture, and natural science as they relate to the changing seasons. Although the text is not written from a child's point of view as the title might imply, youngsters and their families are the focus of the book. The montage of appealing, full-color photographs includes shots of native and non-native people of all ages engaged in daily activities, animals in their natural habitats, and scenic views of the natural landscapes. Unfortunately, instead of appearing directly under or next to the relevant picture, the captions are often grouped together with triangles pointing to the photos they describe. There's so much packed into 48 pages that readers will want to re-read and look at the pictures over and over again, seeing and learning something new every time. This ``coffee-table'' style book will complement more traditional nonfiction titles.-Roz Goodman, Bering Strait School District Media Center, Unalakleet, AK (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Illustrated with stunning color photographs of the wildlife, land, and people of Alaska, the brief text describes the progression of the seasons, the variety of climates, and the activities enjoyed by young people throughout the year. Although well written, the book is unfocused and offers a mere glimpse of life in the northernmost state in the union. Glos. From HORN BOOK 1994, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
