Hunter in the Snow : The Lynx

Children's Literature - Mary Clayton Rowen

Fascinating descriptive writing combined with soft-tone illustrations draw the reader into the world of the lynx. Informative explanations of the life cycle of the lynx through seasonal changes and its link to the snowshoe hare population are revealed. The remains of the kill are shown, which may be upsetting to the young, but it effectively illustrates the lesson of survival. Unlike man who hunts for sport, the lynx hunts and kills to survive. Vital statistics about the lynx are located on the book's last page.

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-Bonners traces the life cycle of a Canada lynx in a simple story format illustrated with soft, realistic, pastel pictures. She explains that although the lynx is a solitary animal, except during its first year of life and mating season, it is part of a web of life that extends to the plants in the forest, to small mammals and raptors, and to humans. All factors involved here, from the animals' padded paws and ear tufts, to the rise and fall of the snowshoe hare population, are blended into this account of a female lynx who was born at the end of a long cycle of plenty and who separated from her litter at the beginning of a cycle of scarcity. A clear picture of physical characteristics and habitat emerge as the snow melts, she finds a mate, and raises a healthy litter. When she and her kittens finally separate, the hunting is good, but there are new threats from an encroaching human population. The gentle quality of the illustrations will attract young readers and listeners to a text that offers plenty of information and food for thought.-Susan Oliver, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System

Julie Walton

ger for reading aloud. In her third life-cycle picture book, Bonners uses a year in the life of a female lynx to convey a wealth of information. The book opens with a suspenseful hunt: the adult lynx tracks a hare, misses it the first time, but gets it on the second attempt. Bonners doesn't flinch here. We see the limp bunny and the bloody snow; however, the soft pencil drawings--detailed with gently blurred photo-realism--take off the edge. Mating is handled with similar frankness, though tastefully enough to minimize snickering. As the year passes, the lynx gives birth, hunts, raises her kittens to independence, and prepares to mate again. A "vital statistics" page provides requisite science report facts; the book's lively tone and its specific focus on one lynx make this as good for personal reading as it is for curriculum support.