Crawdad Creek - Hardcover

Sanders, Scott Russell

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0792270975 ISBN 13: 9780792270973

Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books, 1999

Synopsis

From the same duo that created the award-winning Meeting Trees comes this book that invites youngsters to explore the amazing variety of wildlife that can be found in and around a backyard creek.

About this title

Reviews

Grade 1-3-"Come discover the treasures of Crawdad Creek," invites the author in this reminiscent look at the infinite fascination and variety of experiences found in a summer by a creek. In a loosely descriptive narrative, Elizabeth shares the discoveries she and her brother make. The beautiful illustrations are executed with acrylics using a watercolor technique, and immerse readers in a delicately lovely and watery childhood world. Framing the text at beginning and end are two winter scenes of the creek, and the cover shows it in the fall, which provokes mild speculation as to why all four seasons were not addressed in the text. However, the book fulfills its stated purpose of bringing readers' attention to the wonders of the out-of-doors and should inspire immediate explorations of the nearest body of water available.
Judith Constantinides, East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Sanders (A Place Called Freedom, 1997, etc.) describes, from season to season, the animals that live in and around a creek, as observed by Michael and Elizabeth. They planned to pan for gold, but find instead fossils of worms and shelled animals that lived millions of years ago, an Indian arrowhead, and a wealth of wildlife to study and enjoy, including crawdads, the rosy salamander, catfish, damselfly, whirligig beetles, slider turtles, muskrat, raccoon, and deer. Hynes, in contrast with the rolling, reflective text, uses close-ups and distant shots to establish what the children are seeing, where they are, and the beauty of their natural surroundings. Readers see the creek through Elizabeth's legs, spy the arrowhead as Michael's hand comes down to grab it, and watch over the tops of the children's heads as they pan for gold. Evocative. (Picture book. 8-10) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Edition details

• Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0792270975
• ISBN 13: 9780792270973
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Hynes Robert
• Number of pages: 32