Rachel Carson: Preserving a Sense of Wonder

by Thomas Locker

Winner of Learning magazine’s Teacher’s Choice Award From a small town in Pennsylvania came a little girl who saw the magic in spring fog and heard the ocean’s song in her heart. This was the girl who one day would become the groundbreaking author of Silent Spring . In this engaging biography, now updated, young readers will experience the enchantment of nature as seen through the eyes of the budding naturalist, while learning about her childhood, her accomplishments, and her passion for nature. Combining Thomas Locker’s majestic artwork with Joseph Bruchac’s poetic text, Rachel Carson offers an educational and inspiring account of her life. Includes excerpts from Carson’s work and a timeline of major events. Joseph Bruchac , co-author of The Keepers of the Earth series, is a nationally acclaimed Native American storyteller and writer who has authored more than seventy books of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for adults and children. He lives in upstate New York. Thomas Locker has illustrated more than thirty books, many of which he has written, including Skytree , Walking with Henry , John Muir , and The Story of a River . His books have received many awards, including the Christopher Award, the Knickerbocker Lifetime Achievement Award, the John Burroughs Award, and The New York Times Award for best illustration.

Genres: Picture Books, Nature, Biography, Childrens, Nonfiction, Biography Memoir, Science

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Thomas Locker was one of the major American painters of the past century. In a career that spanned almost 60 years, he had over 75 solo exhibitions. His work ranged from the delicate to the monumental, but all had one thing in common: the beauty of the natural world. He had a deep appreciation for the elusive link between the human spirit and the sublime force of nature.

He spent his entire life in service to his two great passions: painting and nature. Through widespread exhibition of his artwork and publication of his illustrated children’s books, Mr. Locker touched the hearts and minds of countless people.

Mr. Locker’s early paintings were poetic landscapes. Dr. Joshua C. Taylor, former director of the National Collection of Fine Arts for the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., wrote, "Although Locker’s landscapes are not glimpses of a new Arcadia, the quotation from the past re-emphasizes their cerebral play. They call attention less to Nature than to the complex intermingling of perception and thought in the mind of man. Suddenly, seeing becomes thinking, and thinking a delight to the age."

In 1982, Thomas Locker’s career took on a new and even broader dimension. In an effort to connect with a wider audience and educate younger minds, he began work on his first children’s picture book, Where the River Begins. Today, Mr. Locker’s exceptional paintings and illustrations grace the pages of some 30 different books, several of which he also wrote. These unique books have been honoured with numerous awards, including the prestigious Christopher Award, the John Burroughs Award, and the New York Times Award for best illustration.

Thomas Locker’s landscapes have a quality all their own. His years of experimentation and research into the glazing techniques and paint chemistry of traditional European painting have enabled him to achieve a new vision of the traditional for a non-traditional age.

His books have received many awards, including the John Burroughs Young Reader Award, NCTE Notable Trade Books in the Language Arts, NSTA-CBS Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children, the Christopher Award, and others.

http://www.rmichelson.com/Artist_Page...

Reviews

[Amanda up North · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful picture book introduction to Rachel Carson.
The paintings are gorgeous, and the simple text had me from page one:
"Once there was a child whose love of nature would one day lead her to write a book that changed our world."
In Rachel Carson I've found my spirit animal in the form of a writer/biologist. She's a kindred spirit and the hero I wish I'd learned about as a child.
All the more reason I'm glad there are books like this for children today.
"..like Rachel, somewhere a child watches and listens and cares for this earth as she keeps her sense of wonder."

[Naturegirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only are the paintings in this book gorgeous, but the story of Rachel Carson is simply stated and beautiful. What a lovely way to introduce children to the woman who changed the minds of millions with regards to the environment. Thomas Locker portrays her in art in such a special way that can only be characterized by his own touch.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely watercolors by Thomas Locker and text by Joseph Bruchac about the famed environmentalist Rachel Carson (Silent Spring), who needs to be part of our consciousness in every generation. This book introduces her to kids. As to biography, it is very sketchy but gives us not too much information. Maybe just enough to pique interest in reading more.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this with my daughter for her Kindergarten science fair project. Beautifully written and illustrated, an effective synopsis of Carson's work that's kid-friendly, yet still impacts readers of all ages.

[Shaeley Santiago · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of Rachel Carson, marine biologist and author. I especially liked the quotes from her at the end of the book.

[Michelle Stimpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've long admired Rachel Carson and the work she did to help us understand the delicate nature of the planet. This is a beautiful tribute to her by one of my favorite authors, Joseph Bruchac, with gorgeous illustrations by Thomas Locker.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A beautiful, yet brief, biography on the life of Biologist/Environmentalist Rachel Carson. I wish there had been more about her as a person. The telling is beautiful, yet seems a bit vague. The last page, with a list of her books and some favorite quotes is lovely.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely words accompanied by beautiful illustrations about an inspiring and significant woman in our history who was so in awe of creation that she used her clear and poetic written words to turn many to be better stewards of it.

[Caroline · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring. Reads like a dry encyclopedia paragraph interspersed with vaguely related pictures and a few forced poetic lines.

[Rocky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous art!

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely introduction to Rachel Carson - wonderful words and stunning illustrations. I can’t wait to share it with students, teachers and parents.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely. For any aspiring naturalist

[Pam · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book, both the text and illustrations, is an adult's romantic version of a children's book. It is doubtful that any child would pick up this book on their own and enjoy it without a parent, who is familiar with Rachel Carson, guiding them. What a missed opportunity to present an important woman to younger readers! There were so many opportunities to use illustrations that would have been much more informative, including maps and actual illustrations of the wildlife that Rachel Carson was trying to save. Unfortunately using a famous artist to illustrate the book made that impossible. Including such facts as Carson's birth date, parents, etc. to the text would have elevated this to the type of biography that teachers could actually use as a tool in the classroom. This effort was a great disappointment.

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed in this book. Usually Thomas Locker's Hudson Valley School-style illustrations are breathtaking, and some in this book are. The two different illustrations of the sun over the sea on pages 19 and 21 are gorgeous. Others, though, don't quite seem to express the text, such as the picture on page 7 that shows a sunny field when the text says "spring fog". Joseph Bruchac's text, describing Rachel Carson's life, is spare but describes the basic facts of her life. Just when I was wishing I could hear some of Carson's own words, on the last page Bruchac includes a group of quotes from her writings-- a nice touch.
Recommended as a place to start exploring Rachel Carson and her work.

[Holly Mueller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thomas Locker's illustrations are gorgeous. I love his books. The biography itself is sparse, but poetic. I would like to know more about Rachel Carson. There are quotes by her in the back of the book. She was the author of the groundbreaking and controversial environmental book, Silent Spring.

[Katie Rybakova · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting to introduce children (primary grades) to Rachel Carson, and the illustrations are excellent, but I think a little bit more focus on what the books she wrote were about would be necessary. I can see this acting as a nice scaffold though. A good biography text to introduce younger students to.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

To start with, Thomas Locker's illustrations are incomparable. They are museum quality. The story was well done in this case as well. It made me want to read the books that Carson wrote about the ocean.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Biography
Picture book about Rachel Carson, who wrote many books and promoted environmentalism.

[Lindsay Evermore]

branford, hamden

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely art, great amount of information without being too overwhelming.

[McKenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book - used to introduce Biographies and "passion" to 3rd Grade.

[Jody Kyburz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful! Can't wait to share it with my students. If it weren't for picture books, I wouldn't get any reading done at all.