River of Life

July 1, 2000
Gr 2-4-This story takes readers through a year as a child observes the flora and fauna that live in or near an Alaskan river. Oil paintings on double-page spreads show different views of the river. The bears, otters, moose, salmon, and other wild creatures are the focus of the pictures, but the youngster appears in the sidelines in many of them. The paintings are very realistic, with lots of attention paid to the detail. The perspectives vary to show the various creatures'-eye views from the ground, the air, and under the water. The art is quite eye-catching and is nicely complemented by the poetic text. A glossary lists the animals mentioned and gives a bit of information about each of them. Young children will be drawn to the attractive illustrations and simple story, and older nature lovers will appreciate the more subtle elements like the author and illustrator's obvious affection for and excitement about their subject.-Arwen Marshall, formerly at New York Public Library

Copyright 2000 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2000
Ages 5^-8. Beginning and ending in winter, this elegant book traces the seasonal changes of an Alaskan river. The descriptive text, filled with peaceful imagery, reveals the life the river supports and its interconnectedness. A small boy observes the drama of wildlife--the moose knee-deep in the river, a kingfisher swooping for salmon, a red fox scavenging along the riverbank--against a backdrop of spruce, cottonwood, birch, and willows. He builds a snowman by the frozen river, pokes at ice floes in the spring, fly-fishes in the summer, tosses leaves in the fall. Van Zyle, who is the official artist of the Iditarod, brings all the activity to brilliant life in his realistic oil paintings. Not unlike Thomas Locker's "Where the River Begins" (1984), this book reveals the vibrancy of the natural world. The useful glossary is worth reading for the curious facts it contains--male juncos sound like a jangling telephone, 32,000 brown bears live in Alaska, and more. ((Reviewed March 15, 2000))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2000, American Library Association.)