Publication May 16, 2023
Although I wished more parks had been detailed, this is a lovely introduction for children to our nation's national parks. My only real quibble with the book is a personal one. Those of us who grew up with puzzles and maps depicting Alaska and Hawaii everywhere but where they are truly located would probably understand my rolled eyes. Okay, off my soapbox.
The parks selected are each illustrated with a colorful, simple but representative drawing depicting the parks showcase views. There's a short, poetic/lyrical included for each, plus a more detailed information box. The various park visitors shown are diverse not just in race but age, plus one shows a child in a wheelchair enjoying the park. While some parks are genuintely are easier to access than others, that was a nice, subtle reminder that our national parks are for everyone. I enjoyed illustrator Vivian Mineker's artwork.
Finally, at the end, there is even more detailed information provided, ranging from efforts to make the parks more available, to some of their less PG past, ie "Troubled Beginnings". My hunch is this info was for parents/adults but could easily lead to interesting discussions. Finally, a page made up of comments made by children who have visited various parks. My favorite was from the 8 year old who noted that the parks give the sky a break. "Huh?", you ask? They continued to explain it was from the almost overwhelming presence of artificial light, allowing all, including the animals who live there, to experience the sky more vividly and naturally. Well, they didn't use those words but that was the gist of it all.
Bottom line, a nice intro to our national parks. I couldn't quite catch the lyrical rhythm of the verse at times but overall it worked nicely. Thanks #NetGalley and #Charlesbridge for allowing me to take this virtual trip around our park system.
No comments:
Post a Comment