Itchy Little Musk Ox

Book Description

The patience of a little musk ox is sorely tried when he suffers an itch that he can't scratch. There's not a tree in sight--nothing to rub against for relief--so he wanders away from the herd looking for a branch, a rock pile, anything. On his journey, he meets with three individuals: a buffalo, a wolf, and a Native woman. Through his interaction with each one, he learns something new and affirming about himself before returning to the herd. Endnotes include information about how musk ox were native to Alaska until they were decimated by hunters in 1865, then reintroduced in the early 1930s; biological/behavioral details about the animals; and info about the cottage industry among Native villages in which women knit the quviut, the rare underwool, into beatiful warm garments.

Customer Reviews:

A two-page summary of fascinating facts about musk oxen closes this delightful adventure.......2007-04-14

The Itchy Little Musk Ox is a softcover children's picturebook about an unhappy young musk ox. He has an itch he can't scratch from his own soft wool, and his downward-pointing horns won't reach it. When he finds the right tree to scratch his itch, he becomes separated from the herd! On his long journey to rejoin them he discovers all the good things about being a musk ox - his horns and hard head are good for headbutting a hungry wolf, and his soft wool is prized by a gentle human. A two-page summary of fascinating facts about musk oxen closes this delightful adventure, illustrated in full color, recommended for readers age 3 and up.

Tundra: Selections from the Great Accounts of Arctic Land Voyages (Top of the World Trilogy, Vol 3)

Average customer rating:

The least of the Three
Third and final volume in excellent history of the Arctic
Third and final volume in excellent history of the Arctic

Tundra: Selections from the Great Accounts of Arctic Land Voyages (Top of the World Trilogy, Vol 3)

Manufacturer: Gibbs Smith
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Arctic | Polar Regions | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Canada | Travel | Subjects | Books

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
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Ordeal by Ice: The Search for the Northwest Passage (Top of the World Trilogy, Vol 1)

ASIN: 0879053720

Customer Reviews:

The least of the Three.......2007-06-12

This is the third and last volume of Farley Mowat's TOP OF THE WORLD TRILOGY dealing with exploration in the extreme north. Like the others, it is primarily a reproduction of the source narratives with Mowat's own comments, editing and observations thrown in.

The first two books made for interesting and engrossing reading. This one is interesting but the writing style is way too dry to be called engrossing.

As the title suggests, this volume is dedicated to the exploration of the North American tundra. There are tails of depravation and heroism but, for me, they do not compare to the search for the pole or the northwest passage.

This books has its place but is not my favorite.

Third and final volume in excellent history of the Arctic.......2000-06-12

The final volume in the "Top of the World" series, "Tundra" is a land-based, rather than sea- and ice-based version of the earlier books. Canadian author Farley Mowat completes a marvellous history of the Arctic by looking at some of the first recorded overland journeys into Canada's far north. This is country that Mowat came to know well. After the war he spent several seasons in the Arctic travelling the Barren lands with members of a branch of the Inuits, the Ihalmiuts, soon afterwards to be completely wiped out, mainly by contact with Europeans. Mowat tells the story of their demise in "People of the Deer" and a companion volume, "The Desperate People." "Tundra," on the other hand, is not Mowat's story, but is taken from primary sources, mainly diaries of those who did the travelling, and is a vivid and intense recounting of the up-river journeying of some of history's most adventurous travellers. Farley Mowat has done a great job of making this material accessible. If you have any interest in the Arctic, or Canadian history, or to some extent, the native peoples of Canada (Mowat has been criticised, probably unfairly, for his treatment of native people in his books), or if you just want a good plain adventure story, I highly recommend the three books in this series.

Third and final volume in excellent history of the Arctic.......2000-06-12

Exploring the World Around You: A Look at Nature from Tropics to Tundra

Average customer rating:

Science Fiction?? I think not!
A creationist text

Exploring the World Around You: A Look at Nature from Tropics to Tundra
Gary Parker
Manufacturer: Master Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Ecology | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

jp-unknown2 | Specialty Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0890513775

Book Description

With key facts, terms, and definitions throughout the text, lots of excellent illustrations, questions at the end of each chapter and an answer key, Exploring the World around You makes a wonderful supplement to any homeschool curriculum. Dr. Gary Parker takes the reader on a tour of the planet on which we live through the seven different terrestrial biomes: desert, grassland, deciduous forest, tropical rain forest, coniferous forest or taiga, tundra, and chaparral. On the tour Dr. Parker explains the ecosystems unique to each biome including the plant and animal habitats and the fragile coexistence and dependencies they share. Fascinating from cover to cover, every reader will come away with an enhanced knowledge and understanding of our planet and the interrelationships of its inhabitants.

Customer Reviews:

Science Fiction?? I think not!.......2007-09-11

This book has been very helpful in introducing key scientific terms to my 3rd-grader in a clear manner that is Biblically based. I appreciate that he can learn about creation without my having to explain all the fallacies in the big-bang and evolution theories every other page.

If you are looking for a beginning science book that lays a Biblical foundation, this book is for you! The pictures and bold-face-type help to communicate key concepts better than many other science books I've seen over the years. Questions at the ends of the chapters reinforce the concepts covered in that chapter. The "mysteries of life" questions at the beginning of each chapter and their subsequent explanations at the end can be used to help your child dig a little deeper.

I've been homeschooling for the past 10 years, and so far, this is the best Bible-based science "text" I've been able to find for the elementary grades.

A creationist text.......2007-06-21

I was surprised and extremely disappointed in the vague customer reviews I read from other sources. I was looking for a general secular text for earth science for 4th graders. The editorial reviews speak of "...key facts, terms, and definitions..." while customer did mention opening text having a "christian" aka--creationist introduction. I thought, "No matter, a reminder to be reverant is fine. Besides if there is anything overtly against my values, I will just skip over it."

Indeed, chapter 1 BUILDING ON THE RIGHT FOUNDATION: Seeing the 4 Cs. These were: creation (via by God), corruption (by mankind), castrophe (i.e. The Flood), and christ (the restorer). And so I would find no word of William Smith's nor The Geological Society of London's work in the late 1700's through early 1800's, in which the idea of a fossil record is unearthed. The ramifications of such a difference the foundation of earth science goes deep.

In chapter 2, instead of a single landmass, "pangea" where the dynamics of plate tetonics results in today's continents--there is mount Ararat where Noah's Ark came to rest and all the animals disembarked and migrated from that point. Instead of geological records as facts there is empirical and creative reasoning, "...animals began to migrate away from Ararat...the more aggressive placental mammals...would lay first claim to feeding and nesting sites, continually pushing the less combative marsupials to the the leading edge of the migration wave. Thus the marsupials reached Australia first, and God in His providence severed the land bridge...." Before I cut this chapter out of the book, I went to chapters on Ecology.

Chapter 15 ENERGY states, "CO2 is a 'greenhouse gas' and it does help hold in heat. In fact the earth seems designed for much more CO2 and that probably contributed the milder climate and greater plant growth before the Flood....Actually, the earth seems well protected against runaway global warming. The burning of fossil fuels that generates CO2 that warms the earth also generates dust that cools the earth."

In sum, Gary Parker mixes threads of science with creative ideas, to create a book of science fiction.

On the other hand, additional titles in the EXPLORING series that are written by John Hudson Tiner are reasonable. For example, EXPLORING the World of Chemistry is a good general text for a multidisciplinary approach to Science and History. The presence and uses of metal ores in ancient cultures is mentioned. Asides, although not placed within sidebars, mention Bible references to various metals, "Gold is also the first metal mentioned in the New Testament. One of the gifts of the Magi for baby Jesus was gold (Matthew 2:11)" It is left to the reader to interpret such asides as fact or literature or theology.

Hence, be aware that the quality of a title in the EXPLORING THE WORLD series is dependent on the contributing author. I do not recommend those written by Gary Parker.

Average customer rating:

Oh, the weather outside is frightful
one day in the alpine tundra
Spend one day in a whole new world

One Day in the Alpine Tundra
Jean Craighead George
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0064420272

Book Description

"The Teton mountain range of Wyoming is the setting for this lightly fictionalized treatment, which perceptively describes the mammals, plants, climate, and geological features unique to the area directly above a mountain tree line. Detailed drawings are as informative as the text."—BL. "A meaningful, meaty presentation."—K.

Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children 1984 (NSTA/CBC)

Customer Reviews:

Oh, the weather outside is frightful.......2005-08-10

As a reader, I have an excellent attention span. I can sit down and devour a book, be it a child or adult title, for hours at a time. I am not deficient in my ability to concentrate. I've even read all of Victor Hugo's, "Les Miserables" from cover to cover. So why, I ask you, did I have so much difficulty reading Jean Craighead George's, "One Day In the Alpine Tundra"? I did, you know. I'd sit down to read a passage from the book and find my eyes glazing over and my mind pondering such mundane subjects as, "I like bread. I wonder where I can get some good sourdough?". Then I'd shake myself thoroughly, sit back down to reread the same passage, and once again glaze over. Once you get about halfway through this book, it's an easier read. Until that point, however, you'd better be giving this book to a kid who is fascinated to the depths of their soul by alpine tundra info. Because if a 27-year-old children's librarian can't read five pages without yawning continually, I don't look favorably on your offspring's chances.

The book opens with information about a large boulder that sits 10,000 feet up on the Rendezvous Mountain in the Tetons. It's just about ready to plummet to the ground and in its path is a boy's tent. The boy is asleep, though he slowly begins to wake as the sun comes out. Various mountain animals also pull themselves together and go about their daily routines. A marmot (mountain woodchuck) offers warning cries whenever predators are about. A family of pikas (rabbits without the long ears) gather and dry food for the coming winter. Birds fly and hunt, mammals eat in preparation for hibernation, and elk call to their mates. The boy leaves the destructive area and begins to climb higher when a violent storm hits. He finds safety but the boulder at last works its way free and an avalanche of rocks and boulders destroys everything in its path. We can safely assume by the end that the weasel and marmot that we met earlier in the tale have been killed, but the pika is still there. Finally, a bit of lichen drops onto a gash created by the falling rocks. "The healing began".

You'd think that any book that begins with a boulder just waiting to land on a boy's head would be a thrilling read. You would be wrong. Once George begins talking about the daily interactions between various alpine tundra animals, the story picks up the pace. Until then, however, you have to deal with sentences like, "In Souther California's Sierra Nevada it starts at 10,500 feet. In the Teton Mountains of Wyoming it appears at approximate 9,500 feet, and in the Cascades and Olympic Mountains at 6,500 feet. The alpine tundra on the Presidential Range of New Hampshire is low, between 4,200 and 5,00 feet...", and so it goes. This kind of talk goes on for long periods of time, gently lulling the reader to sleep. My advice to kids that are assigned this book in class is to skip all the stuff that isn't about animals. The wildlife portions are quite lively, and with good reason. Jean Craighead George is kind of the patron saint of the realistic children's animal novel. From "My Side of the Mountain" to "Julie of the Wolves", she knows her stuff, and it shows. Unfortunately, she has a difficult time balancing factual information about her setting with interesting information about its inhabitants. By the time you finally get to the cataclysmic storm, half your fourth-grade readers have given up on the book.

A good edit could've saved this title. Because of the nature of its subject, this book doesn't age. Its pen and ink illustrations (provided by artist Walter Gafffney-Kessell) are wonderfully realistic additions. Unfortunately, no such edit exists and the dull 14 or so pages at the start will turn-off potential kid readers. This can be a great read if you slog through its initial tediousness. Otherwise, its just so much dead wood.

one day in the alpine tundra.......2001-05-07

This nonfiction book is presented very well to its readers because the author, Jean George, spent many hours observing the animals and plants in the tundra. As a naturalist and an animal lover, George gives an excellent idea of how life would be in the Alpines. Because of the short chapters, it's easy for the younger readers to follow along with. Also, unfamiliar words are defined within the reading as well. The book describes the effects on wildlife, trees, and plants due to the climate and geological disasters, which occur in the tundra. This makes for a very informative book, which is also filled with excellent reference aids. These include the complete Bibliography of books about animals that were used to create this particular book. This helps establish credibility for the author. Also, a very helpful index is available at the end of the work as well.

The book also contains excellent illustrations. The pictures convey a vivid image of the lifestyle of the seven specific mammals that are fit to inhabit this area of land. The pictures clarify themselves without any needed captions to explain them. The cover of the book is very enticing to children because of the animals and the mountaintop landscape that are displayed on the front. It is a very attractive book that is sure to be enjoyed by its readers, both young and old.

When using this in the classroom, encourage the students to draw their own pictures to help explain what life would be like on the tundra. They can include plants and animals to show the interrelationship of each one upon the other after reading the book.

Spend one day in a whole new world.......2001-04-14

Naturalist and award-winning author Jean Craighead George offers children a smoothly written account of the wildlife, both big and small, which inhabits the alpine tundra of Wyoming. The talents that won her the Newbery Medal for JULIE OF THE WOLVES and have helped her write nearly one hundred other marvelous environmental stories for young readers swing into action. On a mountaintop in the Teton Mountains, a great rock stands regally above the almost treeless landscape, and it is about to fall. A wide variety of rodents, birds, and mammals go about their daily business, unaware of the avalanche that will soon take place. Water pipits hop like sparrows across the ground; a sleepy marmot begins his time of hibernation; a golden eagle scans his kingdom, searching for prey. And a stranger to the area, a boy named Johnny, wakes up in his tent. This quiet story, which turns exciting when the rock tips, is a fascinating look into a unique environment. The human character in the story never manages to take over, as sometimes happens in some of Ms. George's other books. The accurate, interesting writing is reminiscent of Ms. George's earlier series about specific ecosystems, like the Thirteen Moons series, about the seasonal changes that take place with thirteen animals in thirteen environments. These books are now out-of-print, but one gets the same sense of fascination and new understanding of the animal world through the One Day series (you can find my review of the Thirteen Moons series by searching for the book THE MOON OF THE OWLS). The other books in the ONE DAY series are: ONE DAY IN THE. . .PRAIRIE, DESERT, TROPICAL RAIN FOREST, and WOODS. Jean Craighead George's dramatic words are also strengthened by Walter Gaffney-Kessell's expressive illustrations. Come to a whole new land with this fine, short but thourough investigation into one of nature's greatest landscapes.

A Tallgrass Prairie Alphabet (Bur Oak Book)

Average customer rating:

Prairie books in short supply
Great illustrations of prairie

A Tallgrass Prairie Alphabet (Bur Oak Book)
Claudia McGehee
Manufacturer: University Of Iowa Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0877458979

Book Description

Stalks of grass towering over one's head. Patches of yellow and purple wildflowers as far as the eye can see. Thousands of butterflies fluttering across an ocean of grass. Herds of bison plowing through deep snow. Scenes like this were familiar on the tallgrass prairie that once stretched across America's heartland. Today, although most of the original prairie has disappeared, hints of its beauty still remain.

Illustrator Claudia McGehee brings the glory of the prairie back to life in A Tallgrass Prairie Alphabet. From the yellow stargrass that welcomes springtime to the butterfly weed that attracts summer's favorite winged visitors, from the horned lark that soars in the fall to the little bluestem that fights its way above the snow—each season unfolds in the vibrant color and vivid details of McGehee's scratchboard illustrations.

Old friends like white-tailed deer and the short-eared owl, as well as the endangered species like the greater prairie-chicken, are all depicted living in harmony within their native habitat. For those wanting to learn more about the wonders of this rich environment, McGehee provides the common and scientific names of all the plants and animals she illustrates.

Anyone who has ever seen remnants of the tallgrass prairie—from child to teacher to tourist to prairie enthusiast—will appreciate the passion and warmth that leap from the pages of this beautifully illustrated alphabet book.

Customer Reviews:

Prairie books in short supply.......2007-04-04

In presenting a program for young children on prairies I realized that there aren't alot of books out there. This book was one of the few I could find. The illustrations were wonderful and the alphabet examples were good. I do wish, though, that there had been more text. It made for a somewhat boring read for the kids.

Great illustrations of prairie.......2005-10-26

This is a great learning tool for teachers or anyone involved in educating young people about the tall grass prairie. It has wonderful illustrations of plants and animals of the prairie. Good book for young and old.

Average customer rating:

Men of the tundra;: Eskimos at war,
Muktuk Marston
Manufacturer: October House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Average customer rating:

The Tundra (Biomes of the World)
Elizabeth Kaplan
Manufacturer: Benchmark Books (NY)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

Biology | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 076140080X

Discovering the Arctic Tundra (World Habitats)

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Discovering the Arctic Tundra (World Habitats)
Janey Levy
Manufacturer: PowerKids Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1404237879

The Frozen Tundra: A Web of Life (World of Biomes)

Average customer rating:

Editor of TravelSITE reviews THE FROZEN TUNDRA

The Frozen Tundra: A Web of Life (World of Biomes)
Philip Johansson
Manufacturer: Enslow Elementary
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0766021769

Customer Reviews:

Editor of TravelSITE reviews THE FROZEN TUNDRA.......2005-08-17

Reviewed by Carole Herdegen, (...). This Children's Book was reviewed in the section of my website called Carole's Kids' Corner under Book Reviews

Insofar as this book is one in the series, "A World of Biomes", I felt I must first explain the word "biome" - pronounced "by-ohm". It simply means an ecological community such as a rain forest, grassland, desert or Tundra.

This book, "The Frozen Tundra", begins with a brief introduction to polar bears. Then, the author takes his readers immediately into the Arctic Tundra, the biome that includes parts of Canada, Alaska, Russia, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Denmark, Sweden and Norway.

After explaining the Tundra's weather conditions and vegetation, next is a listing of all the animal and plant communities that exist in this relatively unknown region of the world.

An interesting element of this book for children is the explanation of what is termed the "food web". Basically, it is the flow of energy from the sun to plants to animals that feed upon plants (herbivores) to animals that feed upon other animals (carnivores) - the cycle of life in the frozen North.

As a former teacher of lower grades, I would highly recommend this book as a primer for all teachers who are attempting to expose younger children to what nature is like in the frozen Tundra because the contents are easy to follow, well defined and presented without complexity.

Average customer rating:

Grasslands (Geography Detective)
Philip Steele
Manufacturer: Zoe Books Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Average customer rating:

Did not meet expectations

One Man's Lifetime of Learning By Doing

Gives me a newer perspective

Great Information- changed my whole point of view

Big Bass Zone - Thinking Man's Book

Big Bass Zone: Catch Monster Bass
Bill Siemantel , and Michael Jones
Manufacturer: Stoeger Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fishing | Hunting & Fishing | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
General & Anthologies | Hunting & Fishing | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
General | Sports | Subjects | Books
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Sowbelly: The Obsessive Quest for the World-Record Largemouth Bass

In Pursuit of Giant Bass

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Kevin Vandam's Bass Strategies: A Handbook for All Anglers

ASIN: 0883173131

Book Description

The Big Bass Zone provides the fresh ideas you need to you shift your focus from just catching fish to catching the big ones. The authors draw on years of practical experience to break the mold of traditional bass fishing. Instead of relying on the conventional wisdom of fishermen, the authors discard the baggage of traditional bass fishing and look for answers from the fish themselves.

Customer Reviews:

Did not meet expectations.......2007-07-24

If your looking for a good book on how to catch huge bass, read Bill Murphys book. Leave this one to rookies.

One Man's Lifetime of Learning By Doing.......2006-12-27

This book is an attempt to communicate the accumulated knowledge of a fisherman, who apparently has been extremely successful at catching very big largemouth bass in California. The guidelines for specifically targeting these fish probably will help others trying to capture just a fraction of Bill Siemantel's success.

Probably the most enjoyable feature of the book is the pictures of the author with numerous enormous fish. These pictures really get the imagination going, which is certainly something a book like this should do. The book outlines the techniques and tactics he uses. The technique that comes most easily to mind is the use of big baits (of which there are 3 categories). The most prominent tactic is his one-cast presentation. I did find some of his discussion of thinking in terms of ambush opportunities instead of highways to deep water to be helpful.

Unfortunately, the book has many troubling issues. This is really a book that would benefit from a heavy-handed editing. The most prominent issue is in essence a lack of structure which leads to a lack of substance. This comes to fruition in having 2 pages that admonish you to think outside of the box for every 1 page that tells you how to catch big fish. The book does not seem to me to follow a logical development, it seemed more like randomly changing from one topic to another, which I really did not like. Even worse, the book's advice is semi-contradictory telling you not to "backslide" into old fishing patterns then at other times telling you to do exactly that.

For example the following is on page 43, "The purpose of this book is to expand your knowledge, open your mind to new ideas, and progressively turn this learning curve into bigger bass." This introductory sentence should be on page 1, but forty three pages into the book, one is still having to deal with vague generalities.

A second issue is that despite his reassurances otherwise, he offers no proof (not even anecdotal) that these techniques will work in locations other than California. To make this issue more concrete, one only need notice that most of the big baits (other than the tube) look like rainbow trout, which are not on the menu for bass in many places.

In many cases, I found his descriptions of how to actually proceed too vague. I think his descriptions of designing a "milk run" is a case in point. On page 73, he tells the reader to create a point system by "simply assigning a number value to each location." Unforunately, I find this direction to be tautological since the definition of a point system is giving a number value so essentially he is saying create a point system by creating a point system. This is not a lot of help. In addition, this does not seem so simple an act. Unfortunately, he refers to this point system you've created for the rest of the book. Yes, life would be easier if I could just list all the areas that hold large bass as a starting point.

Gives me a newer perspective.......2006-02-10

I am a guide and tournament fisherman on the California Delta and spend over 200 days a year fishing this great body of water. Occasionally I will find myself in a rut and need to have my mind expanded. This is when I pick up this book and glance through it. Bill and Mike discuss concepts and theories that have thousands of hours of productive R&D work behind them. This gives me the confidence to achieve some of the awesome results that are shown in this book. Every angler is looking for an edge, it doesn't have to always be the latest and greatest "hot bait". Sometimes thinking "outside the box" is the key to success on a particular day. This book will help you see your favorite lake through a different more productive set of eyes.

Great Information- changed my whole point of view.......2006-01-30

This book is great. I now know why my old techniques were only catching average sized bass. The theories and techniques are right on the money. The ideas and fishing techniques in this book made an immediate improvement. I would recommend this book for anybody who is tired of catching small average size bass and really wants to step up to catching lunker size fish.

Big Bass Zone - Thinking Man's Book.......2006-01-27

Big Bass Zone is written by two of the very best in the business - Mike Jones and Bill Siemantel

Bill Siemantel has probably caught and released more bass over 10 pounds than 99.999% of the bass anglers alive. He's put everything he knows about monster bass in this book and is a must read for someone who is dedicated to catching a trophy fish. Big fish of all species take some thought into what they do and where they go. This book's got it!

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