________________
CM . . .
. Volume X Number 18 . . . . May 7, 2004
excerpt:
For the first month of her life, Amber lives only in the den she shares with her four brothers and parents. When at last they are ready to leave the den in late spring, Amber and the other kits overcome their fears quickly. Soon they are having a wonderful time chasing, tumbling, wrestling and stalking each other. The parent foxes teach the kits all the skills they need to survive on their own when they go their separate ways in the autumn. When Amber is on her own, she finds the world a frightening place. She escapes several kinds of danger, including animals and humans, and wanders far afield, loney and scared. Every night, she barks loudly, looking for company, and, finally one night, she is answered. The young fox, Flame, comes running to her, and Amber is lonely no more. This story clearly shows that the author did careful research, and also that he knows how to write for children. He makes the animals engagingly human in their thoughts and actions, but the killing and eating of the prey is satisfyingly realistic. If there is anything negative to say about the story, it is that the story-telling is very sedate and calm. Even the parts that should be exciting have a prosaic feel to them. The illustrations are appealing and portray scenes from the story accurately. Altogether, Amber is a realistic, educational book for young readers. Shirley Woods lives in Nova Scotia with his wife and dogs. He is a naturalist and author of many books about nature for both adults and children. Celia Godkin is an award-winning illustrator of children's books. She has collaberated with Shirley Woods on his other nature books for young readers. Recommended. A retired librarian, Luella Sumner lives in Red Rock, ON.
To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca. Copyright � the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
NEXT REVIEW | TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - May 7, 2004. AUTHORS | TITLES | MEDIA REVIEWS | PROFILES | BACK ISSUES | SEARCH | CMARCHIVE | HOME |