If You Want to See a Caribou

Book Title: If You Want to See a Caribou

Author(s): Phyllis Root

Illustrator/Photographer/Artist: Jim Meyer

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Company

Copyright Date: 2004

Genre: Contemporary realistic fiction picturebook

Brief Annotation: This story takes readers through what you would need to do to see a caribou by accompanying a parent and child through the woods. We begin our journey by sailing to an island in Lake Superior. We go ashore and hike through the trails, noticing the variety of flora and fauna that Root describes so eloquently. Eventually, walking quietly and waiting patiently, we see a caribou cow and a calf near the water’s edge. Soon they are gone, and we make our way back to the sailboat as sunset approaches.

Your Rating (1-5) and why: 5—Root vividly portrays a forest near Lake Superior with descriptive language and beautiful imagery. The pictures by Jim Meyer are equally as rich, created by making woodblock prints, which, according to Meyer’s website involve “carving a design into the surface of a flat piece of wood, applying ink to the remaining surface—either by a roller or a brush, and then pressing a piece of paper onto the inked surface. The piece of paper with the ink pressed into it is an original print, a piece of original art.” This technique complements the story and captures the beauty of Lake Superior perfectly. I also liked the fact that both Root and Meyer live in the Twin Cities.

Readers who will like this book: Children who like books about the outdoors; readers who have spent time near Lake Superior or the North Shore; adults wanting to read a quiet and peaceful tale about nature to their children/students

Question to ask about this book before a read aloud: Have you ever seen a caribou? Did you know that caribou are endangered in the United States and threatened in Canada? There is an island off of Lake Superior where some caribou live. They crossed over the ice to get the island in the early 1900s, and they now live peacefully with no predators. Let's read about this beautiful place.

Optional, but noted as extra effort:

1. Interest Level: Preschool—Grade 4 (School Library Journal)