ON CALL BACK MOUNTAIN

Joe and Ben anxiously await the annual summer return of their friend Bosco Burak, the elderly lookout in the fire tower that stands on the peak above their family's cabin. Although the forest was devastated by a fire that drove the animals away a few summers ago, Bosco tells the boys that there is new growth and that the animals will return to Call Back Mountain, just as Bosco always does. Every night that Bosco is on the tower, the boys signal goodnight with their lanterns, and Bosco's light answers. Then one night there is no answer—Bosco has had a fatal heart attack, and Ben and Joe must come to terms with his death. The night after Bosco's death, the boys spot a lone wolf with great shining eyes and long, spindly legs, just like Bosco's, on a ledge—the animals have returned. Simply written and gloriously illustrated, this tale of love, loss, and renewal lingers long after the last page is turned. Bunting (The Blue and the Gray, 1996, etc.) presents complex issues in a way that even very young readers will grasp. (Picture book. 4-8)