Who Lives Near a Glacier?: Alaska Animals in the Wild, by Susi Gregg Fowler, Jim Fowler (Illustrations)

I'm lucky enough to not only live in Alaska but to have taken a few glacier viewing tours. I savored this book and all the wonderful memories it brought back. Beautifully illustrated it combines those with poetry, somehow appropriate for the awe inspiring beauty of glaciers and, indeed, Alaska itself, that tells you about not just the glaciers but the living creatures that live on or near them. I won't take away any of your first time reading charm to come by sharing more than this one phrase that leaped up at me as being insightful and conveyed my own sense of wonder during my glacier visits:

"You're left with the sense/You've been given a gift."

This book is another gift. Enjoy the lovely illustrations of everything from the majestic eagles and massive humpback whales to the wolves, bears, ravens and moose you'll encounter almost everywhere in Alaska. Of course, go figure, the one animal I haven't seen near a glacier is a moose but, well, since they visit my own front yard frequently, I guess I'll just call the mama moose and calf seen along the road on my last trip to Seward to catch a boat for a wildlife tour as counting.

Anyone with an interest in Alaska or wildlife period will treasure this book. Teachers, you will find this book of interest for most age ranges. The poems, while rhythmic and fluid, are relatively easy reading with assistance for younger children. The artwork illustrates the words nicely and can be used to ignite discussion. If you've ever been lucky enough to visit Alaska or are just dreaming, the book will make a lovely souvenir for anyone of any age, to be honest, of their glacier or wildlife sightings. Alaska's wild places and its wildlife definitely leave us feeling we've been giving a gift when we sight them. To borrow another phrase from the book, "The memory lingers/you hold it inside."

Thank you #NetGalley and #SasquatchBooks -- #LittleBigfoot for letting me daydream about my last glacier visit a few years ago. It's a memory I'll treasure forever and this book was a lovely reminder.

For readers of this blog, a special bonus, a few photos from one of my glacier tours and a few of the critters you'll see in the book.