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Library Thing Part E Identification Book
Cassie, Brian. National Audubon Society First Field Guide. New York: Scholastic, 1999. Print.

“In its simplest form an identification book is a naming book, and this may well be the first sort of book that a very young child sees”(Kiefer 510). ELib 530A has expanded my understanding of the identification book from the baby first books to the older audience; elementary to middle school and even adult. I have rediscovered field guides, such books I enjoyed when camping and hiking almost 40 years ago. The Audubon Society First Field Guide series is a convenient carrying size and the guide I chose to review was the Trees guide book. Brian Cassie has written a user friendly introductory title that has a contents page, followed by “About this book”, which explains the sections on the contents’ page and then presents “What is a naturalist?”on two panels with a colored frame of a young boy hanging from a tree limb and right above that frame is a smaller black and white archival frame of John Muir standing next to a Giant Sequoia, and on the opposite panel is a colored frame displaying items suggested as botanical tools that an inquiring young scientist may carry and use. Colored pencils, ruler, camera, magnifying glass, marker, notebook, pencils, and the Field Guide are scattered in the frame, waiting for the reader to pick them up and put them in his day pack and read the “Rules for a naturalist”, and begin his investigations into the wooded area.
The first section of the field guide asks an obvious but none the less important question: what is a tree? It moves on to explaining the plant kingdom and its nomenclature and then to the two classes of trees and from there to habitats, leaf distinctions, fruit, nuts, cones, bark, and then the 50 common North American trees each presented on two juxtaposed panels. The left panel has a full photograph shot and the right panel has the text with one to three detailed close ups of leaves, cones, flowers, fruit, or bark. The text gives explicit directives as to what to look for in order to classify and record your tree. The guide also has a splendid glossary with illustrations of each state and it's tree. A resource section follows the glossary and it provides reading material, videos, organizations and web sites a reader can follow. It has a complete index and a separate handy pocket brochure of the state, it's tree, and the page number to peruse. Brian Cassie’s guide perks the young minds curiosity into understanding, valuing, and becoming an aware naturalist. A fantastic book and school libraries should have several copies available. Intended audience is elementary to middle school + and the curriculum connection is language arts, social studies, and science. There is something magical when anyone can name a tree correctly while walking along with friends and conversation turns to nature and our existence among the trees. ( )

Cassie, B. (1999). The National Audubon Society first field guide: Trees. New York, NY: Chanticleer Press.

First Field Guide: Trees is an identification or naming book produced by the National Audubon Society. The National Audubon Society was founded in 1905. Its goal is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems. This goal includes preserving wildlife and plant life.

The book is divided into four parts: the world of trees, how to look at trees, the field guide, and the reference section. Part one: the world of trees defines what is a tree, the two classes of trees, the anatomy of a tree, and how trees impact us. Part two: how to look at trees provides a guide to identifying trees by their leaves, flowers, fruits, and bark. Part three: the field guide features more than 40 different common North American trees. Each page has a brief description, a photograph, and a list of characteristics about that tree. Part four: the reference section contains a glossary of terms.

The National Audubon Society is well qualified to write about trees. For the most part, the book provides only facts about trees. Yet one should recognize the National Audubon Society’s bias. Its position is to save trees. In one section, it discusses the importance of “taking a stand for trees” (p. 18). It explains that people are trying to save North American forests. The books, however, does not necessarily directly attack the logging industry.

The easy-to-read text is appropriate for children. All terms are defined. Each page is filled with photographs and captions, which clarify the text. Readers see the different types of leaves, bark, and trees.

The book fosters a spirit of inquiry because it encourages readers to use the book to examine trees. Readers not only learn about trees, but they also identfy them by their leaves, height, shape, color, bark, and fruits. At the end of the book, there are even additional resources listed to encourage further learning.

The total format of the book is perfect for young botanists, naturalists, or curious children. I found the book interesting and the pictures breathtaking. Appropriate for upper elementary.