CIRCLE OF THANKS

Fowler (Albertina the Practically Perfect, p. 1284, etc.) creates gentle and moving affirmation of the universal ties that unite all who inhabit Earth. A young boy and his mother live on the Alaskan tundra. During a spring hike to see River Otter, the boy's mother rescues a pup from treacherous waters. The pup "doesn't say thank you, but Mama doesn't mind. What can you expect from an otter pup?" This beneficent act generates a spirit of good will that extends across the four seasons and the animal kingdom. The otter pup performs a kind act for Raven; Raven saves Caribou Calf; the calf's mother rescues Arctic Fox from a trap. The cycle of good will is complete when the fox leads Mama to her injured son during an evening snowfall. For those who don't mind the anthropomorphisms, the lyrical text has a timeless quality to it, resembling a legend handed down through the generations. Catalanotto's watercolors of the northern landscape provide an evocative setting for the creatures that inhabit the story. (Picture book. 4-7)