Holling C Holling

Generations of children have cherished these imaginative stories. Whether following the adventuresome voyage of a carved toy canoe, tracing the travels of a not-so-timorous turtle, or learning about life on the Great Plains as witnessed by an aged cottonwood tree, young readers will relish the blend of history, geography, and nature. 64--96 pages each, five softcovers from Houghton Mifflin.

n the Nipigon country north of the Great Lakes a young boy carved the figure of an Indian in a canoe, christened him Paddle-to-the-Sea, and set him on a melting snow bank which the spring sun was truning into a tumbling mountain stream. Then Paddle began a journey that took him hundreds of miles from his birthplace. He escaped the jaws of a hungry sawmill and went on to see many things on his long trip through the Great Lakes and down the Saint Lawrence River--wild animals fleeing a forest fire, the wreck of a steamer caught in an icy winter storm on Lake Superior, loading and unloading at busy docks, the peacful farms bordering the Saint Lawrence. He took a dizzy plunge over Niagara Falls and managed by a miracle to survive the whirlpools. He was buffeted by many winds and currents and was helped on his way by human hands, until, at last, he reached the Atlantic and earned the right to be called a true Paddle-to-the-Sea. Recommended for ages 8 to 12. A 1942 Caldecott Honor book.

In the Nipigon country north of the Great Lakes a young boy carved the figure of an Indian in a canoe, christened him Paddle-to-the-Sea, and set him on a melting snow bank which the spring sun was truning into a tumbling mountain stream. Then Paddle began a journey that took him hundreds of miles from his birthplace. He escaped the jaws of a hungry sawmill and went on to see many things on his long trip through the Great Lakes and down the Saint Lawrence River--wild animals fleeing a forest fire, the wreck of a steamer caught in an icy winter storm on Lake Superior, loading and unloading at busy docks, the peacful farms bordering the Saint Lawrence. He took a dizzy plunge over Niagara Falls and managed by a miracle to survive the whirlpools. He was buffeted by many winds and currents and was helped on his way by human hands, until, at last, he reached the Atlantic and earned the right to be called a true Paddle-to-the-Sea. Recommended for ages 8 to 12.

In the tradition of classics like Paddle-to-the-Sea, Minn of the Mississippi, and Seabird, Holling C. Holling presents an intricate study of tide pool life. The illustrations and text follow the story of Pagoo, a hermit crab, and you'll learn about the life cycle of hermit crabs and many other creatures found in an average tidal pool. Recommended for ages 8 to 12.

Ezra Brown, a fourteen-year-old ship's boy, was standing watch in the crow's nest during a snowstorm when he first saw the white seabird. Suddenly she flew straight upward, and Ezra quickly realized that his whaling ship was heading straight for an iceberg! The ship was saved, and later, from two Walrus tusks he'd traded with an Eskimo for, Ezra carved Seabird. He set her on a limber piece of baleen so the bird could hover in the air around him as he completed his chores on the ship. Seabird became the mascot for four generations of seafarers: aboard a whaler, a clipper ship, a steamship, and finally an airplane. The story takes a unique look at America's seafaring history through the eyes of a carved bird and her special owners. It is full of beautiful, full-page paintings as well as fascinating and informative black-and-white drawings that ring the text. Recommended for ages 8 to 12. A 1949 Newbery Honor book.

The history of the Mississippi River Valley is creatively told using text and pictures through the life of a snapping turtle named Minn. Hatched at the source of the great Mississippi, Minn has many adventures as she makes her way down the river, through the heart of America, to the Gulf of Mexico. History and life along the river springs vividly to life as Minn meets many different people and creatures that live along the mighty river. Recommended for ages 8 to 12. A 1952 Newbery Honor book.