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Living Forest #5
On Wings of Cheer
A nature sanctuary in the north woods of Wisconsin is the setting
236 pages, paperback
First published January 1, 1948
49 people want to read
About the author
Sam Campbell
75 books16 followersSamuel Arthur Campbell was born August 1, 1895 in Watseka, Iroquois County, Illinois. He was the youngest of two children born to Arthur J. and Katherine "Kittie" (née Lyman) Campbell.
Sam Campbell was many things including a writer, lecturer, photographer, and diligent student of nature. He studied wild animals from his home, which he called the Sanctuary of Wegimind, and during his various travels.
Sam been cited the finest ever in writing about nature, forest, and wildlife. Sam, the genial "philosopher of the forest", was known to more families and young people than any other author-lecturer. Hundreds of schools and audiences demanded his return year after year.
Campbell died April 13, 1962 in Barrington, Illinois.
Also visit the website : http://philosopheroftheforest.com/
Sam Campbell was many things including a writer, lecturer, photographer, and diligent student of nature. He studied wild animals from his home, which he called the Sanctuary of Wegimind, and during his various travels.
Sam been cited the finest ever in writing about nature, forest, and wildlife. Sam, the genial "philosopher of the forest", was known to more families and young people than any other author-lecturer. Hundreds of schools and audiences demanded his return year after year.
Campbell died April 13, 1962 in Barrington, Illinois.
Also visit the website : http://philosopheroftheforest.com/
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 4, 2018
The sudden reappearance of a friend you thought you would not see for some time or ever again is always a wonderful feeling and is what Sam Campbell begins and ends this book with. On Wings of Cheer is the fifth book of Campbell’s Living Forest series, the author details a year’s worth of animal adventures and personal interactions around the Sanctuary of Wegimind during all seasons of the year.
Beginning in the fall of 1946, Campbell begins the book by detail the surprise return of a red-winged blackbird named Cheer as announced by his young friend Hi-Bub after everyone believed the bird had flown south. The Campbells and Hi-Bub enjoy the company of their winged friend for a few more weeks before Sam and Giny head out for their lecture tour believing they wouldn’t return until the next year. However, Hi-Bub is full of schemes to spend more time with the Campbell as he instigates a private lecture for his sick friend and then surprises them with plans for Christmas, which they find out have already been arranged for them. During their surprise Christmas trip back home, they have a run in with Indian John who fascinates young Hi-Bub, and visit their Sanctuary cabin. After returning to the lecture tour, the Campbells return to the Sanctuary and once again enjoying the company of their animal friends both old and new. One of these friends is a transplanted bear named Old Charley, who enjoyed having fun with every human he can even if he scares some of them to death. Another is Hi-Bub’s dog, Hobo, who has a run in with a porcupine and later befriends a fawn named Speckles. Yet the book almost ends on a sour note when Hi-Bub and Sam witness a fawn they believe to be Speckles get shot by an arrow as the youngster is slowly approaching to take a photograph; only on the Campbells’ last night do they discover a very alive Speckles who plays with his friend Hobo.
With a 236 pages, this book is slightly shorter than the previous book that Campbell wrote though packed with as much animal tales and misadventures as any other book of the Living Forest series. Hi-Bub is an integral part of the narrative throughout the book, especially when it comes to his little schemes that Sam as no problem admiring and writes about them accordingly. The interactions with Indian John and the reign of terror of Old Charley are both interesting and hilarious respectfully. There are fewer philosophical teachings of Sam Campbell than in previous books and they appear earlier in the book, though they are still excellent.
On Wings of Cheer is both similar too and different from the other books of Sam Campbell’s Living Forest series, as the same with animal and human tales plus misadventures but different in that all seasons were covered in the book. If you enjoyed other books of the series, then this one will be just as enjoyable.
Beginning in the fall of 1946, Campbell begins the book by detail the surprise return of a red-winged blackbird named Cheer as announced by his young friend Hi-Bub after everyone believed the bird had flown south. The Campbells and Hi-Bub enjoy the company of their winged friend for a few more weeks before Sam and Giny head out for their lecture tour believing they wouldn’t return until the next year. However, Hi-Bub is full of schemes to spend more time with the Campbell as he instigates a private lecture for his sick friend and then surprises them with plans for Christmas, which they find out have already been arranged for them. During their surprise Christmas trip back home, they have a run in with Indian John who fascinates young Hi-Bub, and visit their Sanctuary cabin. After returning to the lecture tour, the Campbells return to the Sanctuary and once again enjoying the company of their animal friends both old and new. One of these friends is a transplanted bear named Old Charley, who enjoyed having fun with every human he can even if he scares some of them to death. Another is Hi-Bub’s dog, Hobo, who has a run in with a porcupine and later befriends a fawn named Speckles. Yet the book almost ends on a sour note when Hi-Bub and Sam witness a fawn they believe to be Speckles get shot by an arrow as the youngster is slowly approaching to take a photograph; only on the Campbells’ last night do they discover a very alive Speckles who plays with his friend Hobo.
With a 236 pages, this book is slightly shorter than the previous book that Campbell wrote though packed with as much animal tales and misadventures as any other book of the Living Forest series. Hi-Bub is an integral part of the narrative throughout the book, especially when it comes to his little schemes that Sam as no problem admiring and writes about them accordingly. The interactions with Indian John and the reign of terror of Old Charley are both interesting and hilarious respectfully. There are fewer philosophical teachings of Sam Campbell than in previous books and they appear earlier in the book, though they are still excellent.
On Wings of Cheer is both similar too and different from the other books of Sam Campbell’s Living Forest series, as the same with animal and human tales plus misadventures but different in that all seasons were covered in the book. If you enjoyed other books of the series, then this one will be just as enjoyable.
February 29, 2024
We thoroughly enjoyed this book a friend loaned us and the children were delighted to learn it is one in a series of 12. To buy more books or not to buy, that is the question! lol
I am not a nature-smart sort of person, but even I was enchanted with the escapades of Sam, Giny, and Hi-Bub and their little forest friends.
As a bonus, there was even a beautiful passage about photography as I see this theme organically occurring again and again along with Kiana's interest this year.
"It is my conviction that the camera habit is good medicine for the mind. All that is learned from this fine hobby is constructive. Beauty, as everyone knows, is not something that resides in nature. Beauty is a quality of human thought. The more we cultivate this quality by seeking the world's loveliness, the more beauty we find. Just as a muscle is strengthened with use so this precious talent is developed by exercise. A camera demands that you diligently seek the better views of nature and life. It keeps you thinking in terms of beauty" (221).
I am not a nature-smart sort of person, but even I was enchanted with the escapades of Sam, Giny, and Hi-Bub and their little forest friends.
As a bonus, there was even a beautiful passage about photography as I see this theme organically occurring again and again along with Kiana's interest this year.
"It is my conviction that the camera habit is good medicine for the mind. All that is learned from this fine hobby is constructive. Beauty, as everyone knows, is not something that resides in nature. Beauty is a quality of human thought. The more we cultivate this quality by seeking the world's loveliness, the more beauty we find. Just as a muscle is strengthened with use so this precious talent is developed by exercise. A camera demands that you diligently seek the better views of nature and life. It keeps you thinking in terms of beauty" (221).
May 30, 2025
Racist, saccharine, dated. Anthropomorphizing, “befriending” and treating wildlife like pets, weird interaction with a child and acting like he’s so funny and special in an over the top way and also constantly mocking his lisp. Glad nature writing is moving away from this direction, and a disappointing read from the Up Nort nature nonfiction canon. I can see why this was popular in the 1940s but doesn’t hold up, and there are far better modern and older authors of this genre.
October 9, 2023
I enjoyed this nature experience via the pen of Sam Campbell. The people and creatures were delightful.
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May 18, 2014
funny,interesting,and insightful on animals.A kid named hi-bub meets Sam.
January 1, 2016
Not a 5 star to me but it is interesting. Especially the fun times they have with friends and wildlife.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews