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32 pp.
| Houghton
| March, 2011
|
TradeISBN 978-0-547-25487-6$16.99
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Anne Hunter.
Tension mounts in this lyrical narrative as Loon Baby waits and waits for Mama to return with dinner. Deciding to look for her at last, he makes his very first dive underwater: "Suddenly there he was in the green lake-light..." Attractive watercolor and ink illustrations show the fauna and flora of the north woods, with fine black crosshatching to sculpt the shapes.
48 pp.
| Groundwood
| August, 2011
|
TradeISBN 978-1-55498-077-2$18.95
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Karen Reczuch.
Written in loosely rhyming verse, this story follows a pair of common loons as they first incubate two eggs then help their hatchlings find food and avoid predators. Solid information about loons (e.g., migration, maturity, conservation details) is included in the backmatter. Handsome acrylic paintings showcase the birds' plumage. Reading list.
32 pp.
| Down East
| November, 2006
|
TradeISBN 0-89272-730-6$15.95
(4)
K-3
A couple and their aging beagle watch a late-hatched loon develop out of season and miss the flock's migration before the lake freezes. The dog's protective instincts save the baby loon from several close calls. Sensitively rendered (though muddy) scenes around a lake make an appropriate backdrop. Based on a true incident, the text is more purpose-driven than storylike.
32 pp.
| Dial
| May, 2004
|
TradeISBN 0-8037-2958-8$$15.99
(3)
PS
Illustrated by
Margaret Spengler.
When faced with a threatening situation, Little Loon recalls his father's gentle teaching and finally takes his first dive. Little Loon's reluctance to learn a scary skill and his eventual success will provide reassurance to those facing similar circumstances. A palette of blue-green pastels provides a suitable backdrop for the whimsically rendered loons and other wildlife.
40 pp.
| Candlewick
| November, 2003
|
TradeISBN 0-7636-1682-6$$15.99
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Kelly Murphy.
When a drop of water falls on her head, Loony Little the loon thinks the polar ice cap is melting and rushes off to tell the Polar Bear Queen. Along the way, she meets other arctic animals, including a puffin, a seal, and a fox. Bold acrylic and watercolor paintings add personality to the animals in this enjoyable revision (refutation, really) of Chicken Little's "the sky is falling" folktale. Information about global warming and the animals is included.
150 pp.
| Farrar/Foster
| August, 2002
|
TradeISBN 0-374-31786-0$$16.00
(2)
4-6
The summer he turns ten, Dillon Dillon receives a life-changing answer to his inquiry about his double-barreled name: his parents died in a plane crash when he was a toddler; the man he thinks is his father is his uncle. During his subsequent interactions with a loon family, he parses his muddled identity. This is an emotionally intricate and symbolically charged novel with an original and memorable protagonist.
Reviewer: Nell Beram
| Horn Book Magazine Issue:
November, 2002
32 pp.
| Chronicle
| April, 2002
|
TradeISBN 0-8118-2003-3$$15.95
(4)
K-3
Illustrated by
Susan Ford.
A father and daughter silently paddle their canoe out onto a lake one night, hoping to see a loon. When they do find the loon, the surprise is literally and figuratively quiet. Despite the stiff figures and a couple of inconsistencies in the art, the illustrations are striking, and the book is handsomely designed.
32 pp.
| Down East
| April, 2002
|
TradeISBN 0-89272-526-5$$14.95
(3)
K-3
Illustrated by
Shannon Sycks.
A loon chick on a lake in Maine escapes a snapping turtle and other predatory animals aided by his protective mother and his natural instinct to hide. Captivating colored-pencil illustrations realistically express pond life while the fascinating story offers lore about this bird. An appended note includes information on the common loon's physical characteristics, habitat, and migratory patterns.