Voices of the Wild - Hardcover

London, Jonathan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0517592177 ISBN 13: 9780517592175

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers, 1993

Synopsis

Beaver, Bear, Deer, and other animals speak about their lives in the wild and their relationship with humans

About this title

From Kirkus Reviews:

In a spare, stalwart first person, a dozen animals describe themselves and their wariness of a man who paddles his kayak to observe them in their northern habitat. In McLoughlin's art, the man's presence can be found in each economically constructed composition--his kayak silhouetted above an underwater beaver; in the morning mist behind a browsing moose; dramatically reflected at sunset in the eyes of a crouching lynx; the tiny light of his campfire, far beneath a gliding owl. A quietly lyrical book that effectively evokes the experience of observing these wilderness creatures with respect, and without disturbing them. The luminous double-spread paintings--with their realistic portrayal of the animals and the more romantic, impressionistic depiction of their home--are lovely; a last spread showing the man among weathered, totem-like carvings suggests that he, too, belongs in this natural setting. (Picture book. 3-10) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

From Booklist:

Gr. 4-6. "I am Beaver gliding, diving, rising with the bubbles to a long, slender shadow-shape passing overhead." The "shadow-shape" is the bottom of a kayak paddled by a man camping in the wild. The wilderness animals--among them, bear, deer, and turtle--identify themselves in relation to the man and their environment in a series of prose poems, each illustrated by a full-color, double-page painting showing the animal as well as evidence of the man. The concluding words are the man's: "When I wake in the dark / easy on the earth / and see the shape of an owl / among the stars / I lift my voice to the silence / and give thanks / to the wild night." McLoughlin's strong wildlife paintings focus mainly on the animals, viewing them from unusual and effective perspectives. They combine nicely with the somewhat low-key text, and with some promotion the book should find a wide readership. Janice Del Negro

About this edition

• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 0517592177
• ISBN 13: 9780517592175
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32