Yosemite's Songster: One Coyote's Story

K-Gr 5—A coyote couple is split apart when a rock slide startles them while they are squirrel hunting. The female spends days searching Yosemite National Park for her mate. She travels all over, sometimes encountering other animals, sometimes encountering park visitors. This gives Wadsworth an excuse to describe sights such as El Capitan and Half Dome, and some of the lodgings and activities. She has an easy-to-read, poetic style that speaks for the coyote without feeling forced. The descriptions of the park are necessary for readers who are unfamiliar with it, but they are done in a natural way. The story is tinged with melancholy and anxiety as the coyote calls to her mate over and over again. Both the text and San Souci's illustrations combine to help readers appreciate this natural wonder. The realistic pictures depict Yosemite in a hazy, golden light. The coyote is regal, at times scared, but at other times perfectly focused on hunting. While she remains a wild animal, her personality becomes apparent through the art. Finally, the coyotes are reunited and hunt together once more. An author's note describes the best way to view and treat wildlife.—Susan E. Murray, formerly at Glendale Public Library, AZ