Is there anywhere in the world that Ted Lewin hasn’t visited? This may well be the question that readers will ask after finishing this volume consisting of 14 travel pieces—brief vignettes, really—describing Caldecott Honor–winning illustrator (Peppe the Lamplighter, 1993) and sometime author Lewin’s up-close-and-personal adventures with all sorts of creatures in all sorts of habitats in the US and around the world. From Alaska to the Galápagos Islands, from Alberta to Botswana and many points in-between, Lewin has had adventures that many would-be travelers could only dream about and maybe envy. He’s swum (albeit involuntarily) with a bull shark in the Florida Keys; witnessed garbage-foraging elephants (who are also Elvis fans) and meat-eating chimps in Uganda; ridden through an Indian jungle for a glimpse of a very rare Bengal tiger; been almost attacked by crazed raccoons in Georgia; and gotten to know a dung beetle probably more than was absolutely necessary. Through it all, he’s schlepped a 40-pouind backpack, while his camera and sketching supplies have never been far off. Good thing, too, Lewin’s typically wonderful drawings are here, along with on-site photographs. Some of his experiences are humorous, some terrifying, all are fascinating. The author’s straightforward writing style makes these journeys great read-alouds, too. Appended to each adventure are Author’s Notes that put habitats and creatures in context. Perfect for armchair travelers and animal lovers. (maps, glossary) (Nonfiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-688-14105-6
Page Count: 112
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2003
Fortunately, when Conor (an Irish boy), his toddler brother Babo, and two American acquaintances are caught in a sudden storm, they are swept to Ox Island. Conor—who has already had one run-in with the treasure-seeking Lady Agnes and her husband, the Captain—is shocked when they also arrive on the island, via a sturdy cruiser. Lady Agnes's desperate fear is that the boys will interfere with her hard-won discovery of a solid gold statue—a Druid icon. She and the Captain bury the four boys alive; the boys' old-fashioned ingenuity turns the tables on Lady Agnes and leads to a safe return home for all. Macken's tightly plotted treasure hunt makes a spirited armchair adventure. The character depiction is convincing and complex—especially when the boys pass up an opportunity to escape so that they, too, can view the wondrous statue. Wholesomely gripping. (Fiction. 10-12)*justify no*
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1991
ISBN: 0-671-73800-3
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 1991
A biographer of Zora Neale Hurston (Sorrow's Kitchen, 1990) presents 15 eerie tales featuring ghosts, monsters, and ``Gullah Goblins,'' collected in the Caribbean and the southern US by the Federal Writers' Project and other researchers. Lyons admits to having made some changes and adaptations, but the language remains fluid and evocative: when ``Dead Aaron'' comes back from the grave, his widow demands of a suitor, ``How long us got to put up with this dead corpse?...How long us got to set by us own fire, you and me, and him?'' Lyons appends notes and a large bibliography, and urges young people to read or tell these stories with animation—''And don't forget to add the best part...THE SCREAM!'' (Folklore. 10-12)
Pub Date: Oct. 30, 1991
ISBN: 0-684-19333-7
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Scribner
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1991
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