CRAWDAD CREEK

Sanders (A Place Called Freedom, 1997, etc.) describes, from season to season, the animals that live in and around a creek, as observed by Michael and Elizabeth. They planned to pan for gold, but find instead fossils of worms and shelled animals that lived millions of years ago, an Indian arrowhead, and a wealth of wildlife to study and enjoy, including crawdads, the rosy salamander, catfish, damselfly, whirligig beetles, slider turtles, muskrat, raccoon, and deer. Hynes, in contrast with the rolling, reflective text, uses close-ups and distant shots to establish what the children are seeing, where they are, and the beauty of their natural surroundings. Readers see the creek through Elizabeth’s legs, spy the arrowhead as Michael’s hand comes down to grab it, and watch over the tops of the children’s heads as they pan for gold. Evocative. (Picture book. 8-10)