School Library Journal
Gr 1-4Although many childrens books explore the wonders of tropical rain forests, few of them even mention their temperate counterparts. Wright-Frierson deftly weaves personal observations with scientific information in this fine introduction to the rain forest of Washingtons Olympic Peninsula. Her combination sketchbook, nature journal, and postcard to readers documents her exploration of the ecosystem dominated by huge trees that are hundreds of years old. Through words and pictures, she explains how snags and nurse logs shelter plant and animal life and foster the growth of new trees. She introduces readers to a variety of unique plants and animals, including a banana slug as long as her foot. While the author clearly supports efforts to preserve the temperate rain forest, her tone is not polemical. The contrasting paintings of clear-cut hillsides and the mysterious green caverns of old growth forest speak eloquently. Salmon heading upriver, elk grazing in the forest, and the sun setting over the ocean provide other glimpses of the areas majesty. Used alone or with books about tropical rain forests, this one should stimulate further explorations about and appreciation of a type of rain forest with which few people are familiar.Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
Kirkus Reviews
Wright-Frierson (An Island Scrapbook, 1998, etc.) has created another outstanding nature journal, this one exploring North America's temperate rain forest on Washington's Olympic Peninsula. She begins with her trip across the country, recording what she sees from the window of the plane; she moves into the forest, using an artist's eye and varied perspectives to show the biome. In a slightly bemused tone, the text urges readers are to look up at the towering canopy, through binoculars at a bird overhead, and down through a magnifying glass at the tiny world underfoot. Every page in the scrapbook combines pencil drawings, carefully labeled individual specimens, watercolors, and often a glimpse of the artist. The author's voice is clear and compelling, while her reverence for the environment—and the joy she derives from it—are always evident. (Picture book. 7-11)
