Jim Arnosky

Prolific picture-book naturalist Jim Arnosky, the author and illustrator of almost 150 titles for young people, made his debut in 1977, with this charming guide to the animals of the forest. This was the introduction to Crinkleroot, a grandfatherly guide to the wonders of the natural world who would go on to appear in many other books. Born in a tree and raised by bees, he could "whistle in a hundred languages and speak caterpillar, turtle, and salamander too!" Living in a tiny cabin in the show more forest, Crinkleroot introduces his readers to the activities of various animals, in the four seasons. From the bees of spring to the toads of summer, the owls of autumn to the birds of winter, he highlights many different kinds of creature, as well as larger events - such as the turning of the leaves in autumn - in the natural world. A few craft ideas are also included, from making a homemade book of various leaf varieties, to creating a bird feeder for the winter. The book closes with the following exhortation:

"Remember, there are pictures everywhere, puzzles hidden among the leaves and in the streams, and stories written on the snow. So keep your eyes open and your nose poked out, and someday you may be talking caterpillar, turtle, and salamander too!"

First published the year after I was born, and then revised in this 1988 edition with updated illustrations, I Was Born in a Tree and Raised by Bees is an absolutely delightful and charming book, one I regret not having growing up with. It is both educational and entertaining, offering a glimpse into the wildlife of a northern forest in all four seasons, and a personable guide to that wildlife who is completely endearing. I would love to know more about Crinkleroot himself - is he an elf? a forest creature? or just a man raised by the wild? Is he meant to be Arnosky? The afterword here mentions that Arnosky created the book while living at Hawk Mountain, in Pennsylvania, and it seems to encapsulate all the love of the natural world and its many inhabitants that would go on to characterize his work. The artwork here is every bit as appealing as the text, and is done in a different style from the more recent, watercolor illustrations I have seen from Arnosky. In the original edition, the illustrations were all black and white, with two-tone color enhancements. Here they alternate between black and white, and fully colored, managing to be completely enchanting in both cases.

All in all, an absolutely wonderful book, one I would recommend to all young nature and animal lovers, and to anyone who enjoys hiking in the forest. As someone who loved all of those things as a girl, someone whose first summer job involved clearing and maintaining forest trails in my county's park system, I wish I had known about this book and its many sequels when I was younger. Still, I have discovered them now, thanks to a kind goodreads friend - many thanks, Kathryn! - who noticed I was reading a great deal of Arnosky, and recommended the Crinkleroot books, and I hope to read many more!

Note: In 1999, this was republished as Crinkleroot's Nature Almanac, with essentially the same content. show less

Crinkleroot, the charming, grandfatherly guide to the natural world who first appeared in author/illustrator Jim Arnosky's debut book, I Was Born in a Tree and Raised by Bees, returns in this fifth picture-book, this time turning his attention to the avian wildlife around us. From the necessary preparations for bird-watching - walking quietly, carrying binoculars - to the various bird species one might encounter in the woods of North America, from the different kinds of call that different show more birds make to the different kinds of nest they build, this friendly guide has plenty of information for a young bird-lover who is just get going...

I continue to find Crinkleroot a charming and informative guide, and enjoyed Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing the Birds quite a bit. It makes a nice companion piece to the preceding volume, Crinkleroot's Guide to Knowing the Trees. I appreciate the way in which these titles manage to be both educational and entertaining, and I find both Arnosky's artwork and his eponymous character delightful. Crinkleroot strikes me as almost a fairy-tale figure - a sort of nature spirit, or gnome - but one whose 'magical' adventures are entirely natural. I'd recommend this one to young bird-lovers and to anyone who has enjoyed other Crinkleroot books. show less

Prolific children's author and illustrator Jim Arnosky, who has created more than one hundred works of natural history for young people, turns in this engaging picture book to cryptozoology, exploring creatures that may or may not truly exist. After profiling a few prehistoric animals, such as the giant shark known as the Charcharadon, Arnosky turns to such staples of speculative animal lore as Big Foot, the Loch Ness Monster and the Lake Champlain Monster. He concludes the book with an show more admonition to young animal lovers to keep an open mind, and to keep on exploring...

Monster Hunt: Exploring Mysterious Creatures is the sixty-second book I have read from Arnosky, and it is certainly a departure from the previous titles I have encountered. Whereas other books from this creator are either entirely factual, or are light-hearted songs dealing with real-life animals, this veers into speculation. It's clear that Arnosky is a believer in some of the creatures profiled, and he even describes how he, his wife Deanna and three of his grandsons went hunting for Champ (the Lake Champlain Monster) in his boat. I found this rather charming, and think it's interesting that someone with so much experience watching and investigating wild creatures would have this outlook. I appreciated the fact that Arnosky shared his own perspective so freely, and that he encouraged young readers to stay open minded about seemingly mythical creatures, pointing to cases of species that were at one time thought to be either made up or extinct, only to be discovered in the wild. This is a really useful reminder that knowledge and science are not static, and are not meant to be approached that way, emphasizing that we must always be willing to adjust to new information, and indeed, must try to seek it out. I don't read much in the cryptozoology field, for either adults or children (although I do read plenty of fantasy featuring fantastical creatures), but sought this one out because I am an admirer of Arnosky's work. Recommended to you children who are fascinated by cryptids, and who long to make discoveries of their own. show less

With gorgeous watercolor illustrations and a thought-provoking text in rhyme, prolific author/illustrator Jim Arnosky asks young people to consider what is going on in the natural world, as they move through their own days. As they are waking up, a band of sheep is walking along a narrow mountaintop spine; as the brush their teeth and wash their face, a shark circles a reef and a polar bear runs across a field of ice. All throughout the day, as they are engaged in various activities, show more somewhere, at that very moment, a creature in the wild is also doing something...

At This Very Moment is the forty-ninth book I have read from Arnosky, whose work I greatly admire, and I think it is wonderful! It isn't simply educational, in the sense of introducing children to various animals—although it does do that—no, it is also inspirational, and seeks to inculcate in children an awareness of the natural world around them, as well as the idea that many things are taking place at once, all over our beautiful planet. I found the artwork here beautiful as always, and think the text makes for an excellent read-aloud. I also greatly enjoyed the author's afterword, in which he talks about each species mentioned, and what they mean to him. The beaver and the bluejay are neighbors, the alligator is thought of every day, the lions are in his dreams, and the raccoons in his woodshed. Highly recommended to all young animal and nature lovers, as well as to anyone searching for picture books that promote awareness of and love for our fellow residents here on earth. show less