Brenda Z. Guiberson’s profile of the great northern hemisphere forest sings, crackles, and growls.
“Plish, ploosh! A loon dives for minnows and leeches.”
“Pitpatpat, the hare packs down easy trails with her huge snowshoe feet.”
Life in the Boreal Forest is a feast for the ear as well as the eye. Guiberson includes rich auditory textures in describing the intricate web of life that lives in these vast but diminishing forests. Her language transforms a comprehensive description of a habitat into an engaging and melodic read. This beautiful book focuses on the wildlife that inhabits the snowy forests of Russia, Canada, Alaska, and Scandanavia.. Young children will enjoy the glorious paintings and their vivid depictions of animals and habitats. A closer look at the art reveals animals hidden in the underbrush, in trees, or perhaps clutched in the talons of a swooping owl. Older students can use this detailed text as a resource when researching global ecosystems and can make productive use of the end-notes, including a map of the world's boreal forests and information about deforestation and conservation. Author of more than a dozen non-fiction books for children, Guiberson was honored with a 2010 NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor for Life in the Boreal Forest, recognition of "outstanding nonfiction for children." On http://www.brendazguiberson.com/, she shares her personal interest in and connection with nature and that the source of her inspiration is her innate curiosity: "I write for the child in me, the one who thrives on adventure and surprises, on learning new things, on understanding and being understood." Guiberson advises aspiring young authors to "explore, and look closely." Perhaps, a walk in the forest would provide student writers with such an opportunity as well as a comparison point to the animals and landscapes of the world's boreal forests.
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