Nearer Nature: The Secrets of a Wildlife Watcher
Grade 6 Up-For years Arnosky has fascinated readers with his books on enjoying, identifying, and sketching nature. Now he turns to the exploration of his own immediate world, the area around his Vermont farmhouse. Based on the journals kept over a seven-month period, the book details his experiences and meticulous methods of observation. As he watches, he constantly questions what he sees. "I always read 'the book of nature' first. Then I check my findings against known facts." The story he "reads" is sometimes grim, but full of small revelations. The author's understated style expresses itself in such details as the fact that wet snow "...has a long memory." His familiar black-and-white sketches combine with decorative chapter headings and wide page margins to create an inviting format. This book is a treat for patient observers willing to follow Arnosky across the snow, to wait for an hour by the pond without moving, and to watch with him while the otters play.Ruth S. Vose, San Francisco Public LibraryCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.