Bears & Giant Pandas, Mammals - Bears
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Overview
Grizzly bears are the largest of all land carnivores and, like lions and tigers, a thrilling sight to see. Once, they roamed freely throughout western North America. Today, however, their territory has been greatly reduced. Now Ron Hirschi and Tom Mangelsen take readers into Yellowstone in search of the rare and majestic grizzly. Dramatic photographs and journal pages from Ron's field notebooks offer a glimpse of their actual encounters. Along the path of the grizzlies they came to observe, readers will also come face to face with a moose and her calf, herds of elk startled by the sound of the camera's shutter, and cutthroat trout glistening as the sun sets high in the Rocky Mountains.
Synopsis
Grizzly bears are the largest of all land carnivores and, like lions and tigers, a thrilling sight to see. Once, they roamed freely throughout western North America. Today, however, their territory has been greatly reduced. Now Ron Hirschi and Tom Mangelsen take readers into Yellowstone in search of the rare and majestic grizzly. Dramatic photographs and journal pages from Ron's field notebooks offer a glimpse of their actual encounters. Along the path of the grizzlies they came to observe, readers will also come face to face with a moose and her calf, herds of elk startled by the sound of the camera's shutter, and cutthroat trout glistening as the sun sets high in the Rocky Mountains.Editorials
Children's Literature
The front cover of this book is a striking photographic silhouette of a large bear walking forward. The rest of the book with advancing bear footprints on almost every page, carries the reader to the back cover where a huge bear stands erect in all his majestic glory. It is a beautiful journey with breathtaking nature photographs, not only of bears in many postures and settings but of the flowers, mountains, lakes and streams encountered by the author and his friends. Their camping-hiking adventures in bear country are complemented by drawings and a text which combines bear facts with personal anecdotes shown as journal entries. By the end of this book the reader has come to know quite a lot about bears, their habits, their babies, their diets, their threats to an unwary hiker and the beauty of their habitat. A skillful layout seamlessly combines the delicate drawings, journal entries, informative text and spectacular photography. This results in eager acceptance of the author's closing invitation to visit bear country and get the chance to learn more about bears, followed by a short plea for preservation of lands vast enough to "make future homes for the great grizzly bears." This is a thoroughly satisfying book destined to bring pleasure and increased understanding to its fortunate readers both young and not-so-young. 2005, Boyds Mills Press, Ages 8 up.—Mildred Hart
School Library Journal
Gr 4-6-Mangelsen's fine photos and Cooper's attractive sketches accompany Hirschi's readable text bursting with the "bear facts" on grizzlies (with some asides on black bears). Set in Greater Yellowstone, the whole is enhanced by pages from the author's field notebooks, which lend a real-time field-trip flavor to this cycle of the grizzly's spring awakening to a high-calorie binge prior to winter hibernation. An author's note presents a plea for the protection and preservation of this great bear. Team this title with Dieter Betz's The Bear Family (Morrow, 1992; o.p.) and/or Lynn M. Stone's Grizzlies (Carolrhoda, 1993) for an excellent introduction to North America's largest land predator. Inviting and informative.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.Kirkus Reviews
In this informative offering, Hirschi gives readers an up-close-and-personal look at grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park, providing details about the animal's habitat, environment and eating habits in a tone so conversational that the text feels like a personal tour from an experienced guide. He even gives tips on how to best observe this magnificent animal should young readers travel to Yellowstone themselves. Mangelsen's gorgeous full-color photographs-of bears and their cubs, and enormous grizzly footprints in the mud and melting snow-appear throughout. They add to the drama, and share space with journal-like sidebars, which are presented as though on the pages of a spiral-bound notebook, and carefully observed field drawings by Cooper. A compelling choice for young nature lovers. (Picture book. 7-10)Book Details
Published
September 1, 2005
Publisher
Boyds Mills Press
Pages
32
Format
Hardcover
ISBN
9781590780145