If I were a park ranger

PreS-Gr 3-This nonfiction picture book features a diverse cast of children who talk about all of the things they could do if they were a park ranger. Fun illustrations depict various national parks and monuments, including some of the things a park ranger would do if they worked at that particular park. Stier talks about the education a park ranger needs, as well as some of the historical figures who contributed to the creation of the National Park Service. This delightful picture book would make a fantastic read-aloud for younger elementary students. Children will be attracted to the playful Jane Cabrera-esque illustrations. Emerging readers and older kids alike will enjoy the flow of the text that is engaging and filled with fun facts. The author's note details Stier's experience visiting several of the parks as a child. She also talks about the research that takes place and arts-in-residence at some of the parks. Her notes delve into more specific detail about what park rangers do and how to become one. VERDICT A good addition to any picture book collection and a recommended pick for children who love nature and the outdoors.-Kristin Williamson, -Metropolitan Library System, Oklahoma © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A series of children imagine all the things they might do if they were park rangers.From the typical education of a ranger to a short sentence each about some people who were important in the history of the National Park Service, Stier packs a lot in. The job varies as much as the national parks themselves, which can include historical sites, wilderness areas, or even a ship or monument. It might involve scientific research, interaction with visitors, giving tours, costumed history interpretation, educational outreach, designing exhibits, mapmaking, or updating park websites. "And maybe, because of all I did, some visitors to my park would experience something astonishinga moment that could happen nowhere else in the world.Then, like me, they'd want to take care of these very special places too." In Corrigan's artwork, the six uniformed children (diverse racially if not by ability or body type) are seen performing the duties of park rangers, though they remain children and the scientists and visitors around them are adults. Not all the illustrations are distinct enough to identify the national parks without their labels (the illustration of Glacier National Park shows snowshoers in front of generic evergreens and twin mountains, for instance), though the range of parks depicted is nice.A great way to introduce children to a not-often-depicted career path and maybe to spark some interest in our country's national treasures as well. (author's note) (Informational picture book. 4-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.