Jim Arnosky

The immensely talented author/illustrator Jim Arnosky, known for his many wonderful works of natural history for children, turns in this picture book to the topic of animal tracks, and how to recognize them. He devotes sections to deer family tracks, tracks of other hoofed animals, bear tracks, small animal tracks, feline tracks, canine tracks, and reptile and bird tracks. A general discussion of these tracks is followed by pages showing life-sized reproductions, some of them requiring fold-out pages...

The forty-sixth book I have read from this prolific creator, Wild Tracks!: A Guide to Nature's Footprints is immensely engaging, pairing an informative text with lovely artwork. I appreciated the life-sized reproductions of each track discussed, and think the fold-out pages (there are four) will make the reading process more entertaining for younger readers. This book was referenced in the back matter of Mia Posada's excellent Who Was Here?: Discovering Wild Animal Tracks, and I can definitely see why, as it is both educational and fun. Readers should be aware that it is focused on North American animals, something that should have been mentioned in the book's description, and was that. Leaving aside that critique, provided one is aware of this focus, it is one I would heartily recommend to all young animal and nature lovers.… (mais)

Prolific children's author and artist Jim Arnosky, known for his many works of natural history for young people, describes the way various species of animal hide in plain sight in this lovely picture book. Woodcocks with patterns and colors that blend in with dry leaves; wary deer who lie down in summer grass and hide amongst winter trees; snowshoes hares, arctic foxes, long-tailed weasels and snowy owls who blend in with snow; screech owls and moths who blend in with tree bark—these and other animals are profiled here...

Published in 1995, I See Animals Hiding is the forty-fifth book I have read from Arnosky, which is surely a testament to the high regard in which I hold his work! As with so many of his other titles, it paired an informative and engaging narrative with beautiful watercolor artwork. The theme here, of animals who hide themselves in their natural environments, is well captured in both text and illustration. It is further augmented by a search-and-find element, as the book instructs the readers to find various hidden animals in the artwork. Recommended to young animal lovers, and to fellow Jim Arnosky fans.… (mais)

Digging for crayfish on the shore of a swampy river, a raccoon family become separated when one of the kits climbs into an abandoned canoe, and is taken downstream as it drifts into the current. Despite his fear, the raccoon kit realizes that he is safe in the canoe, and observes the world around him, from snakes to alligators, warblers to mergansers. Eventually he is reunited with his mother and siblings, who have been following along on shore...

Published in 2001, Raccoon on His Own is the forty-fourth title I have read from the talented and immensely author/illustrator Jim Arnosky, whose prolific output includes many wonderful works on animals and the natural world for younger children. Needless to say, having read all of these books, I am an admirer of Arnosky's work. This one lived up to my expectations, providing an engaging story that introduces children to the animals and habitat of a swampy river—given the species mentioned, it would be somewhere in the American South—as well as beautifully expressive illustrations. I thought the raccoon family, in particular, were very well done! Recommended to young animal lovers, and to anyone seeking picture books about raccoons and/or swampy ecosystems.… (mais)