Over in the Wetlands: A Hurricane-on-the-Bayou Story

by Caroline Starr Rose, Rob Dunlavey (Illustrator)

Overview

Publishing in time for the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, here is a beautiful read-aloud about animal families preparing for an impending storm in their bayou habitat.
 
Journey to the Louisiana wetlands and watch as all the animals of the bayou experience one of nature’s most dramatic and awe-inspiring events: a hurricane. The animals prepare—swimming for safer seas, finding cover in dens, and nestling their young close to protect them. During the height of the storm, even the trees react, cracking and moaning in the wind. At last, the hurricane yawns and rests, and animals come out to explore their world anew.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780449810187
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	07/14/2015
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	34 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Caroline Starr Rose was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start Author for her debut novel, May B., which was an ALA-ALSC Notable Children’s Book and received two starred reviews. She spent her childhood in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and New Mexico, camping by the Red Sea in one and eating red chile in the other. She has taught social studies and English, and worked to instill in her students a passion for books, an enthusiasm for experimenting with words, and a curiosity about the past. She lives in New Mexico. Visit her at carolinestarrrose.com.
 
Rob Dunlavey is the illustrator of The Dandelion’s Tale by Kevin Sheehan, which was called “luminous” and “radiant” in a starred review by Kirkus Reviews, and Counting Crows by Kathi Appelt. His work has been featured in the New York Times, the Boston Globe, and BusinessWeek, among many other publications. Rob has made murals for children’s museums in Miami, Florida, and Bridgehampton, New York, and in the East Hampton Public Library on Long Island. He lives in suburban Boston with his wife, two daughters, two insane cats, and a tropical fish named Bruce. Learn more at robd.com.

Editorial Reviews

06/01/2015
K-Gr 4—Rose focuses on the actions of wetlands animals as they react to the approach, arrival, and departure of a hurricane. Her poetic text avoids the temptation to follow the familiar "Over in the Meadow" formula by varying rhythmic patterns to mirror the storm's energy. As the faint morning breeze intensifies in the bayou, pelicans and spoonbills search for food. A mother alligator returns to her den to keep her babies safe. Under darkening skies and churning seas, fish and turtles seek shelter while the hurricane twists and roars. Staccato pulses of verse mark its destruction before it fades, and the animals emerge to an altered landscape. Dunlavey's mixed-media illustrations reflect this trajectory, growing darker as the storm intensifies. Double-page spreads of bayou landscapes will capture and hold listeners' attention, especially close-ups such as the toothy mama gator carrying her babies in her jaws. Author's notes offer more information about featured animals from the Mississippi River Delta plus background on threats to Louisiana wetlands. Suggested websites offer additional educator resources, and some include student activities as well. VERDICT Even collections far from the Gulf Coast will benefit from adding this effective portrayal of how weather affects the natural landscape and the animals that live there.—Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University Library, Mankato

School Library Journal

2015-04-15
Like the animals that live there, Louisiana wetlands can survive even a hurricane.This lyrical text uses interesting imagery, informal rhyme, and an insistent rhythm to describe the world of the bayou and the wonder of a storm. Though it opens with a peaceful scene, readers and listeners are gently warned: "a faint breeze hints that a storm draws near." Crabs scuttle, pelicans scoop, spoonbills stalk, and egrets flock. An alligator takes her babies into her den—carrying some in her mouth. Colors darken as waves and clouds move in. At the height of the storm, these double-page spreads become almost black; trees and swamp waters are barely visible. The hurricane is scary: "Pounding, / wailing, / hours endless. / Blasting, / breaking, / storm's relentless." But wetlands are resilient; these recover quickly. A black bear and her cubs appear; the alligator and her babies return. The story closes on a quiet note, with a warm sunset followed by a moonlit night. Even the dragonfly that opened the narrative has survived. An afterword reiterates the importance of coastal wetlands and offers further information about the animals described. Dunlavey's impressionistic illustrations, done with watercolor, ink, pencil, paint, collage, and digital manipulation, are reasonably accurate but still full of mystery. A reassuring portrayal of a remarkable event in an equally remarkable natural world. (Informational picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews