Secrets of a Wildlife Watcher

by Jim Arnosky

Explains the techniques used in finding wild animals such as owls, turtles, squirrels, foxes, beavers, and deer, and in getting close enough to study their behavior.

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction, Picture Books, Animals

64 pages, Library Binding

First published September 1, 1983

About the author

Jim Arnosky was born in New York City, NY Sept 1, 1946. He was raised in Pennsylvania. Jim graduated from high school in Philadelphia and joined the US Naval Reserves. His active duty took him to Maryland and Bremerhaven, Germany.

In 1976 Jim and his wife Deanna moved to Vermont with their two daughters where they have lived in an old farmhouse for the past 28 years. 17 of those years were spent raising sheep.

Jim is self taught in writing, art and the natural sciences. He has written and illustrated 86 books on nature subjects and has illustrated 46 other books written by various authors. He has been awarded the Christopher Medal, Orbis Pictus Honor, ALA Gordon Award, and Outstanding Science book awards from National Science Teachers Associations.

Jim loves to fish, boat, and play his guitar. In his work, he uses a Betacam SP video camcorder with a 1600 mm lens to record the wildlife he and Deanna find all across the country.

Reviews

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good friend gave me her 1983 First Edition of this absolutely delightful book on becoming a nature observer to share with my granddaughters. We are nature journaling together this year. This the perfect introduction for them. Soft yellow pages glow, illuminate Arnonsky’s hints about watching and really seeing all sorts of wildlife and his pencil sketches that let us see what he has seen. His northern Vermont farm has a similar ecology to my Maine surroundings.
This is an absolute delight, if you can find a copy!

[Jessica Maddox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely darling. I would give this 10 stars. Arnosky's sketches of wildlife are stunning and simple, his writing engaging. I feel I am right there with him observing in the wild. This book is an absolute treasure.

[Marilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used this book in the Christian Family Academy 3rd/4th grade reading class.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful drawings and some humor in Jim Arnosky's retelling of his experiences. Wonderful book with a mix of facts and his real-life occurrences. I enjoyed it so much that I read it in one go.

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A review from my old blog...

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have no idea how this book made it on my to be read list but I'm glad it did.

Arnosky, a wildlife watcher, wrote a simple guide to wildlife for children complete with cute illustrations. I guess the text appealed to the nerd in me, the science lover in me but at the same time Arnosky wrote in a very "cute" style (for lack of a better word).

I definitely recommend this book!

[Maura]

Wonderful pencil drawings throughout, great book so far.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is really a book I would like to own. Arnosky is a mster of detail and this book is a great primer about details.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great guide for a youth to watch wildlife.