ONE DAY IN THE ALPINE TUNDRA

A meaningful, meaty presentation—just what its predecessor in this new series, One Day in the Desert, wasn't—with precise and engaging illustrations besides. "The alpine tundra is a community of plants and animals that have adapted to the harsh climate on the tops of tall mountains. It begins where the trees stop growing. It is a land of grass, wild flowers, mosses and animals that can find shelter among these plants." That description will be echoed and amplified during the autumn day that camper Johnny spends (unobtrusively) on top of Rendezvous Mountain in Wyoming's Tetons. Because of the thin air, we learn, the animals' hearts beat faster; because of the short warm season, they're already in a race against time. "Alpine plants," we're told in turn, "do not waste energy producing big leaves and long stems. . . . Almost all their energy goes into making flowers and seeds." Hour by hour, the weather changes and each animal responds in its own way. As a storm blows up, Johnny is first exhilarated, then wary; finally he runs headlong at the fall of an overhanging monolith. The internal drama provides momentum and assures interest.