A lyrical creation tale of the Florida Everglades with stunning landscapes by Wendell Minor.Supports the Common Core State Standards

The details in this book are amazing. It tells of the history of the Florida Everglades as well as giving the reader insight about what goes on there. The story is told through a tour, on a boat, with some kids and a man. The storyteller is paddling a boat through the Everglades and tells about the amazing things they see. I like that the author chose to have someone tell the story to children because my students would be able to connect to it more. The illustrations are so detailed and look like real pictures which are so awesome to look at. I think anyone would enjoy this book. ( )

This informational picture book caught my attention primarily because of the cover, which features a beautiful painting of a Great Blue Heron. I've become very interested in birds over the last couple of years. When I lived in Virginia, I woke up each morning to the chatter of a family of Northern Cardinals, and on occasion, a Pileated Woodpecker, going to town on one of several pine trees in our back yard. I watched these birds closely and felt like I really got to know some of them. When we moved to Louisiana, it was sad to say goodbye -- that is until I encountered some of the birds that were waiting for me down here, like the Great Blue Heron. This is a VERY roundabout way of saying, sometimes a striking cover is all it takes to pick up a book -- and I'm very glad that I picked this one up.

Through beautiful paintings and masterfully crafted sentences, "Everglades" tells the story of Florida's tropical wetlands region, from its fertile beginnings to its currently imperiled state. Focusing on the ecosystem’s scientific and anthropological evolution, the book paints a vivid picture of how the area has changed over time. The setting for the story is a Native American man paddling a group of children down the river in a canoe and explaining what they are seeing -- and can no longer see. By the end of the book, the tone shifts to one of conservation, and ultimately, a call to action for the youth to save the Everglades. The message is very convincing after the book’s survey of the area's diminishing wild and plant life.

From the perspective of an English teacher, I think this book is a wonderful example of "saying a lot, with a little." I think the book also could be used as a figurative language mentor text. Consider these gorgeous examples:

* "It was a slow river that gleamed like quicksilver"
* "When the winds blew, the saw grass clattered like a trillion swords"
* "A plentitude of orchids bloomed and turned the island trees into colorful cathedral windows)

Overall, I loved this book. The paintings alone are worth the price of admission, but I was pleased to discover that, as a whole, the book as well-written, message driven, and packed with interesting information. ( )

Everglades by Jean Craighead George, is an informational text about the Everglades in Florida. The author immediately brings you into the story by inviting you into the scene of a tour guide telling the story of the Everglades to a group of children as they float along the river. Facts of the everglades are shared in story form beginning with the formation of the land itself, from sand to rock to land, to the people who overtook the land, hindering its beauty. Large paintings by Wendell Moinor depicting images of the text fill the pages. Throughout the journey of the story children ask the story teller questions that perhaps the reader may ask. It is an informative and easy to follow book that a young reader can easily place themselves in. A good read along and read aloud. ( )

An indiginous story teller poles a boat through the Florida everglades, and tell the children with him the story of the river and the creatures who live nearby. Pictures are breathtaking, and history is woven through the tale.