Trails Above the Tree Line: A Story of a Rocky Mountain Meadow (Soundprints Wild Habitats)

In a meadow high in the Rocky Mountains, a bighorn sheep raises her lamb.

Grade 1-4-This attractive picture book presents a year in the life of a mother bighorn sheep and her newborn. Colorful acrylic paintings depict the creatures throughout the seasons along with the plants, birds, and other wildlife they encounter. Each spread carries a quarter page of text superimposed over the scene. Fraggalosch writes in a concrete, flat, scientific style that lacks the rhythmic flow and action necessary for a read-aloud. A map of the globe, showing the location of the Rocky Mountains, a picture glossary of flora and fauna, and a four-page foldout of the lovely meadow are appended. While the narrative is not substantial enough for reports, the art is informative and lively, and carries well at a distance. Aaron Frisch's Bighorn Sheep (Smart Apple, 2001) is a gorgeous photographic study with much more information and is still accessible to this audience. Joanne Mattern's Bighorn Sheep (Capstone, 1998) offers more complete information, and is an excellent source for reports. Robert Bullock's The Rocky Mountains (Homestead, 1994) is easy, has a story line, and also includes 22 features of this habitat, illustrated with black line drawings. Trails is a serviceable addition for young nature lovers.
Susannah Price, Boise Public Library, ID
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.