Fabulous Photo-Essays
Staff -- School Library Journal, 7/1/1998
In the titles listed below, talented writers and photographers work in tandem to show how effectively various topics can be brought to life, and how immediate even technical and obscure subjects can become to young readers. From a look at modern farm families, to several introductions to our planet (from under the sea to outer space), to summering with an arctic wolf pack, all reflect the diversity of our world and the diversity of those intent on capturing it in pictures.
ANDERSON, Joan. The American Family Farm. photos. by George Ancona. Harcourt. RTE $18.95. ISBN 0-15-203025-5.
Gr 5 Up: An up-close, personal look at the lives of three modern farm families. Clear, smooth prose seasoned with the farmers' own experiences and feelings enhance Ancona's expansive photo-essay. A respectful tribute to this endangered American institution. (Oct. 1989)
ANDERSON, Joan. Cowboys: Roundup on an American Ranch. photos. by George Ancona. Scholastic. RTE $16.95. ISBN 0-590-48424-9.
Gr 3-5: Clear text and spectacular, full-color photographs provide an up-close-and-personal look at a ranch family's cattle roundup on the rugged mesas of New Mexico. (Mar. 1996)
ARNOLD, Caroline. The Ancient Cliff Dwellers of Mesa Verde. photos. by Richard Hewett. Clarion. RTE $15.95. ISBN 0-395-56241-4.
Gr 4-6: A thorough and attractive introduction to the Anasazi people with outstanding photographs of the dramatic vistas and ceremonial chambers within this national park. The painstaking work of archaeologists is shown as they try to reconstruct the past and document their findings. (July 1992)
BISHOP, Nic. The Secrets of Animal Flight. photos. by author. illus. by Amy Bartlett Wright. Houghton. Tr $14.95. ISBN 0-395-77848-4.
Gr 3-6: The aerial feats of birds, bats, and insects are explored through a precise text and stunning, high-speed photos. (Apr. 1997)
BRANDENBURG, Jim. To the Top of the World: Adventures with Arctic Wolves. photos. by author. Walker. Tr $16.95. ISBN 0-8027-8219-1; PLB $17.85. ISBN 0-8027-8220-5; pap. $6.95. ISBN 0-8027-7462-8.
Gr 3-6: A wildlife photographer shares his experiences during a summer with an Arctic wolf pack on a deserted island. Captivating pictures combine with an informal narrative to create a topnotch, firsthand view of a much-maligned animal. (Dec. 1993)
CERULLO, Mary M. The Octopus: Phantom of the Sea. photos. by Jeffrey L. Rotman. Cobblehill. Tr $16.99. ISBN 0-525-65199-3.
Gr 5 Up: Spectacular underwater photography and fascinating details demystify these elusive, highly intelligent creatures that are ever so gentle despite their monstrous rep. (Dec. 1997)
CERULLO, Mary M. Sharks: Challengers of the Deep. photos. by Jeffrey L. Rotman. Cobblehill. Tr $15.99. ISBN 0-525-65100-4.
Gr 4-7: Eye-catching photographs and clear prose demystify these much-feared creatures. Sure bait to induce a greater respect for and understanding of these amazing fish. (Feb. 1993)
DEWEY, Jennifer Owings. Wildlife Rescue: The Work of Dr. Kathleen Ramsay. photos. by Don MacCarter. Caroline House: Boyds Mills Pr. RTE $16.95. ISBN 1-56397-045-7.
Gr 4-6: A lively photo-essay that shows the determined efforts of veterinarian Ramsay caring for injured animals to return them to the wild, featuring the day-to-day operation of her New Mexico Wildlife Center. (Sept. 1994)
GOOR, Ron & Nancy. Insect Metamorphosis: From Egg to Adult. photos. by Ron Goor. Atheneum. RTE $14.95. ISBN 0-689-31445-0.
Gr 2-4: The stunning clarity of the full-color photographs and the numerous examples of polychromatic insects that undergo complete, as well as those that experience incomplete, metamorphosis are succinctly delineated and detailed. An up-close look at the insect world that mesmerizes. (June 1990)
GOWELL, Elizabeth Tayntor. Sea Jellies: Rainbows in the Sea. Watts. PLB $24.10. ISBN 0-531-11152-0.
Gr 4-7: An introduction to these diaphanous, rainbow-hued animals that contains a wealth of information and brilliant photographs. (Aug. 1993)
HOYT-GOLDSMITH, Diane. Buffalo Days. illus. by Lawrence Migdale. Holiday. RTE $16.95. ISBN 0-8234-1327-6.
Gr 2-5: This dynamic photo-essay introduces a boy named Indian, his home in Montana's Bighorn Mountains, and the efforts of the Crow people to bring wild buffalo herds back to the reservation. (Dec. 1997)
JACKSON, Donna M. The Bone Detectives: How Forensic Anthropologists Solve Crimes and Uncover Mysteries of the Dead. photos. by Charlie Fellenbaum. Little, Brown. RTE $16.95. ISBN 0-316-82935-8.
Gr 5-9: Eye-grabbing photos and engrossing text entice readers into this grisly domain as scientists use their bone-reading skills to unearth the clues that solve crimes. A bona fide hit. (May 1996)
JOHNSTON, Ginny & Judy Cutchins. Slippery Babies: Young Frogs, Toads, and Salamanders. Morrow. Tr $15. ISBN 0-688-09605-0; PLB $14.93. ISBN 0-688-09606-9.
Gr 4-6: Spectacular photographs delineate the unique features of these shimmery, if somewhat slimy, infant creatures, and the text establishes their importance in the food chain. (Oct. 1991)
KRAUS, Scott & Kenneth Mallory. The Search for the Right Whale: How Scientists Rediscovered the Most Endangered Whale in the Sea. Crown. PLB $14.99. ISBN 0-517-57845-X.
Gr 4-6: Readers accompany a team of scientists from the New England Aquarium as they follow right whales in the North Atlantic. Fascinating facts, arm-chair adventure, and up-close-and-personal photographs on a topic with enormous appeal. (Aug. 1993)
LAUBER, Patricia. Seeing Earth from Space. Orchard Bks: Watts. PLB $22.99. ISBN 0-531-08502-3; pap. $9.95. ISBN 0-531-07057-3.
Gr 4-8: A universally appealing book, depicting in speculative tones and awe-inspiring photos the view of Earth from space, the fragility of the planet, and the urgent need to protect it. (Aug. 1990)
LAVIES, Bianca. The Atlantic Salmon. photos. by author. Dutton. Tr $14.50. ISBN 0-525-44860-8.
Gr 3-6: Breathtaking underwater photographs and a lucid text describe the arduous journey made by this hearty fish. Nature photography at its finest; factual description at its best. (Apr. 1992)
LAVIES, Bianca. Compost Critters. photos. by author. Dutton. RTE $14.99. ISBN 0-525-44763-6.
Gr 3-6: A look at the creepy crawlies that devour garbage and form the nutritious material on which plant life depends. Magnificent magnified photographs combine with a lucid text to amaze and inform. (July 1993)
LAVIES, Bianca. Mangrove Wilderness: Nature's Nursery. photos. by author. Dutton. RTE $15.99. ISBN 0-525-45186-2.
Gr 3-6: An enlightening journey to Florida's swampy Everglades, focusing on the red mangrove. Remarkable, full-color, above-ground and underwater photographs provide great views and follow the food chain that develops around these trees. (June 1994)
McMILLAN, Bruce. Nights of the Pufflings. photos. by author. Houghton. Tr $14.95. ISBN 0-395-70810-9.
Gr 1-4: Excitement mounts each year as millions of puffins come ashore to nest on an Icelandic island. Crystal-clear photos document the cycle and the unique role that the village children have come to play in launching the fledgling flyers. (Mar. 1995)
McMILLAN, Bruce. Super Super Superwords. photos. by author. Lothrop. Tr $12.95. ISBN 0-688-08098-7.
PreS-Gr 2: Clear, clearer, clearest best describe this exuberant book about degrees of comparisons. Vibrant photographs of children having a great time as they act out the words bring the concept home. A superduper book. (Apr. 1989)
PATENT, Dorothy Hinshaw. Feathers. photos. by William MuA'oz. Cobblehill. Tr $15.99. ISBN 0-525-65081-4.
Gr 4-6: A fascinating introduction to the formation and function of our feathered friends' versatile and often colorful plumage. Topnotch science, illustrated with striking larger-than-life photos. (July 1992)
SCOTT, Elaine & Margaret Miller. Adventure in Space: The Flight to Fix the Hubble. Hyperion. Tr $16.95. ISBN 0-7868-0038-0; PLB $16.89. ISBN 0-7868-2031-4.
Gr 5-9: Exciting text and spectacular photos reveal how repairs were made in space as well as the hard work, planning, and satisfaction involved in being an astronaut. (Apr. 1995)
