Where Are My Bears?

School Library Journal

K-Gr 2-- With the aim of introducing children to the natural world beyond their immediate surroundings, these books begin with locales and wildlife familiar to rural and urban dwellers. Ever widening vistas are presented until the disappearing grasslands of the West and what were the great forests of the far Northwest are brought to view. Using very simple language, Hirschi describes the increasingly rare animals of these regions. Beautiful full-color photographs and poetic language present the very serious idea of land preservation and the need to protect the Earth's creatures from human encroachment. The suggested activities, such as ``visit Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks . . .'' may not viable or realistic, and are therefore a weakness. Presented in a nonthreatening manner, books such as these may be vital steps in saving what remains of the Earth's once abundant species. --Eva Elisabeth Von Ancken, Trinity Pawling School, NY