When I pick up these books by author Nancy Luenn, I immediately feel that I have been transported to a faraway place. Her imagery is rich, her descriptions are masterful, and I appreciate the glimpse she gives me into another world. As the location for each book changes, so does the tone of the narrative, allowing you to taste the language patterns in the different regions.
The first Luenn book I would like to share is called “Otter Play.” A child and his family are getting ready to go fishing for the day in the wilderness of Canada. The father and mother are watching for fish, but the boy is watching for otters. He sees them slip beneath the surface of the water, sees them sunning themselves on logs, crunching down on fish. After he and his family make camp, he plays in the water and romps on the sand, just like the otters, and curls up to sleep in his sleeping bag to dream of all they will do tomorrow. The illustrations were beautiful and made me wish I could reach in and touch. (Atheneum Books, 1998, illustrated by Anna Vojtech.)
Next comes “Nessa’s Fish.” We travel to the Arctic to meet Nessa and her grandmother, who have walked a long way to ice fish. They have caught enough fish to feed the entire village, but now it is night. They pile stones over their catch to keep it safe from wolves, and they bed down for the night. During the night, Grandmother becomes sick, and Nessa must take care of her. She scares a fox away from the fish, and then a pack of wolves. Later a bear comes, and she must scare it away too. Grandmother needs her to be strong. As night comes, so does help. Grandfather brings a sled and takes them back to camp. Nessa was very brave to take such good care of her grandmother and the food for the village. (Atheneum Books, 1990, illustrated by Neil Waldman.)
Last is “Mother Earth.” This book takes on a journey to many places as we learn about the earth and use our imaginations to see her as a person, with the ground as her skin, the mountains as her bones, and the trees and plants as her hair. We visualize the nurturing spirit she has and how we are all connected to her as we live here each day. The illustrations are soothing and restful, harmonizing with the serenity of the words. (Atheneum Books, 1992, illustrated by Neil Waldman.)
If you and your child are interested in learning about nature, the wilderness in different lands, and the beauty of our environment, these would be excellent books for you.
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