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Author: J. Patrick Lewis Illustrator: Christopher Canyon
Retail Price: Paperback • $7.95 | Hardback • $16.95 The last in a trilogy of Earth’s features and habitats, this book explores earth’s amazing inhabitants. J. Patrick Lewis weaves his poetry into conversations between pairs of creatures in each major habitat. Readers will gain a sense of the network of nature, conjuring respect for nature’s creatures everywhere. The poignant relationship between the animals is powerfully captured in Christopher Canyon’s illustrations. |
Spectacular double-page paintings and a poetic, cautionary text celebrate the diversity of creatures living in the world’s many habitats and express the hope that nature’s wonders can be protected in the future. Pairs of animals discuss the beauty and distinction of their homes. Among them are a crane and a hummingbird gliding through the sky, a blue whale and a bright pink octopus drifting in the bubbly ocean, a salmon heavy with eggs, an agile frog splashing in the river, and a mountain lion and a longhorn sheep confronting one another on a snowy peak. Other venues are a lake, volcano, woodland, rain forest, wetlands, grassland, polar region, desert, town (a cat and a dog converse), and school, where a teacher tells a child that animals have much to tell us about life. The writing is stately and serious and befits the ecological theme. The realistic artwork is beautifully detailed, richly colored, and dramatic, using a variety of perspectives. Altogether, this earnest title should inspire an interest in and respect for nature.
— School Library Journal (April 2002)
J. Patrick Lewis has written a trilogy of books about humans and our relationship with nature. His beautiful poetry is accompanied by illustrations from Christopher Canyon that truly inspires the desire to be one with nature. This book is a journey with many different creatures. Each double-paged illustration includes a duet of voices that describe places throughout the world. The deep, dark ocean holds an enormous whale that lives by eating tiny krill. A bright pink octopus accompanies the whale and notes, that despite the whales great size, he is but a tiny speck in the vast ocean. A slow and careful turtle never misses anything around him, while the dragonfly skims quickly across the lake, but both can reflect on the beauty of their home. Page after page unfolds with scenes from nature throughout the world. The blend of words and illustrations are a perfect match, nature’s wonders never looked better.
— Missouri State Univ. Library Review – Dea Borneman – October 2005
A series of conversations between various pairs of animals who share the same habitats introduces the web of life, the concept that all of life is connected and that the world belongs to not one species, but to all. A vast array of creatures from beetles to humans celebrates nature’s diversity. Implicit in the lyrical text is a deep respect and reverence, Lewis’ gentle wisdom speaks clearly: No one can teach you everything, but you can learn something from every thing in nature. Christopher Canyon’s dramatic paintings will wow young readers with ultra-close-up perspective, accurate, intricate detail and vibrant color.
— Lynne Burke (syndicated columnist) – April 2002
