ANCIENT ONES
The World of the Old-Growth Douglas Fir
by Barbara Bash & illustrated by Barbara Bash
From the author of Desert Giant (the Saguaro cactus) and Tree of Life (the African baobab [both 1989]), another handsome, meticulously detailed portrait of nature. In full-bleed spreads broken only by a neatly boxed text, Bash portrays an old-growth forest in the Pacific Northwest from a human perspective on the ground and gazing into its lofty heights, then focuses on the species-rich habitats of canopy, snags (dead trees), the forest floor, and a nearby stream. She concludes with the extraordinary circumstances—fire plus a symbiotic relationship with a particular fungus—required to foster new growth. Elegantly rendered in Bash's calligraphic hand, her text is a lucid, well- organized guide to the many species shown in her lovely paintings. Inserts display a few larger than life size, the degrees of magnification carefully noted. A beautiful and informative book that makes a wonderfully effective plea for this magnificent habitat. Author's note. (Nonfiction/Picture book. 5+)