John Muir and Stickeen: An Alaskan Adventure - Hardcover

Koehler-Pentacoff, Elizabeth

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0761319972 ISBN 13: 9780761319979

Publisher: Millbrook Pr, 2003

Synopsis

After being stranded on an iceberg, conservationist John Muir and his devoted dog were forced to face the harsh elements of nature in order to stay alive and find their way back to civilization.

About this title

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4-Muir wrote about exploring an Alaskan glacier in the company of a friend's dog, Stickeen, in what is said to be the naturalist's favorite adventure. Koehler-Pentacoff recounts the story in the present tense: "Mountain streams crash upon boulders. Trees bend in the wind. John loves the excitement. He enjoys nature's fierce weather." This is the extent of what readers learn about Muir and his motivation for climbing the glacier in a stormy, treacherous situation. A whole day spent struggling across the ice and over crevasses culminates in the near loss of Stickeen as the plucky dog succumbs to fear at crossing a narrow ice bridge back to the mainland. The short, simple sentences fall into a choppy rhythm, occasionally capturing the drama of man's struggle against nature. Swanson's muted acrylic and colored-pencil illustrations accompany the terse account, placing man and dog in an indistinct, bluish-mauve setting that suggests the harsh terrain and weather but is also rather abstract. In the sketchy telling, it's hard to imagine why a seasoned outdoorsman would be so ill prepared for such an extreme outing-he carries his trusty ax but has no rope or food (beyond the bread they share for breakfast). An endnote adds some information on Muir's life and contributions to wilderness preservation. While some children may enjoy the tale of this brave little dog, the book is not smoothly executed and has limited appeal.
Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5, younger for reading aloud. Based on naturalist John Muir's book Stickeen, this picture book dramatizes a life-threatening adventure on a glacier in southeast Alaska. Muir and Stickeen, a little dog, explore a seven-mile-wide glacier. They leap crevasses, place themselves in a position where they cannot turn back, and finally creep across a narrow ice bridge that spans an icy chasm. Mere whispers of color tint the ghostly illustrations, giving the effect of pictures coated with hoarfrost. Muir's wide-eyed stare adds to the scenes' otherworldly air. An adventure story with a dog but without sentimentality, this picture book can be used to enhance classroom units on Muir or glaciers. Recommended for larger collections. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Millbrook Pr
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0761319972
• ISBN 13: 9780761319979
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Swanson Karl W.