Thomas,
Peggy. For The Birds: Life of Rory
Tory Peterson. Boyd's
Mills/Calkins Creek 40p $16.95
978-1-59078-764-9 elm/ms E-BN Biography
The text in this exceptional biography
of naturalist Roger Tory Peterson is sparse and well written, but it is the illustrations
that make the book so outstanding.
They are extremely lifelike, vibrant, and in keeping with Peterson’s
paintings. Telling the life story of
naturalist and bird identification guide creator Roger Tory Peterson, Peggy
Thomas instills an immediacy and entices children to learn more. Peterson's quirks as a child lead to his
successes as an adult. This volume
explains how he became interested in observing wildlife, especially birds, and
the ways he used his experiences to change the way identification guides were
written.
But what really makes this volume
exceptional are the illustrations. Laura
Jacques’ paintings are so lifelike and vibrant that they almost appear to be
photographs. Her paintings and drawings
of birds mimic those of Peterson and almost fly off the page.
Put the illustrations and the text together,
and what you have is a beautiful, memorable biography with a clear and
resounding environmental message. This
is a must-have for all grades. -- Joan Theal
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