Synopsis
A prominent children's books author shares his life, his daily activities, and his creative process, showing how all are intertwined.
Susan Hepler - Children's Literature
The prominent nonfiction author of nearly a hundred books shares his life, daily activities, and insights into the creative process showing how all come together in his work. Most books in the "Meet the Author" series present picture book, folktale, or short story book writers but this, along with Jean Fritz's and Seymour Simon's entries, are the only nonfiction writers profiled. Pringle's books such as Dinosaurs! Strange and Wonderful; An Extraordinary Life: The Story of a Monarch Butterfly; Elephant Woman, Bat Man and other books focus on careers in animal ecology. It is fascinating to learn that even as a child he observed nature and that is reflected in his other science and ecological books. Photographs of his early artwork and writing from his childhood confirm these facts. He shows young readers how good writing about nature is based on observation and research and many revisions as he works hard to find better ways to say things. It's an excellent introduction to nature, and Pringle makes it clear that writing about it can be challenging and fun. This book is a fine addition to the science classroom as well as the language arts curriculum shelf of books about writing. And it introduces to child readers a prolific science writer and his wide-ranging books. 1997, Richard C. Owen Publishers,
Editorials
Children's Literature
The prominent nonfiction author of nearly a hundred books shares his life, daily activities, and insights into the creative process showing how all come together in his work. Most books in the "Meet the Author" series present picture book, folktale, or short story book writers but this, along with Jean Fritz's and Seymour Simon's entries, are the only nonfiction writers profiled. Pringle's books such as Dinosaurs! Strange and Wonderful; An Extraordinary Life: The Story of a Monarch Butterfly; Elephant Woman, Bat Man and other books focus on careers in animal ecology. It is fascinating to learn that even as a child he observed nature and that is reflected in his other science and ecological books. Photographs of his early artwork and writing from his childhood confirm these facts. He shows young readers how good writing about nature is based on observation and research and many revisions as he works hard to find better ways to say things. It's an excellent introduction to nature, and Pringle makes it clear that writing about it can be challenging and fun. This book is a fine addition to the science classroom as well as the language arts curriculum shelf of books about writing. And it introduces to child readers a prolific science writer and his wide-ranging books. 1997, Richard C. Owen Publishers,— Susan Hepler