John Muir: America's First Environmentalist

by Kathryn Lasky, Stan Fellows (Illustrator)

Overview

"A useful introduction to Muir, the founding of the national parks, and the broader idea of environmentalism." — School Library Journal 

John Muir loved the land. Born in 1838, he was a writer, a scholar, an inventor, a shepherd, a farmer, and an explorer. But above all, he was a naturalist. John Muir was particularly devoted to the high cliffs, waterfalls, and ancient giant sequoia trees that, through his careful influence, were set aside as Yosemite, one of the first national parks in America. Here is the life story of the man who, moved by a commitment to wilderness everywhere, founded the Sierra Club in 1892, a conservation group that carries on his crucial work to this day. Back matter includes an epilogue, a bibliography, and information about the Sierra Club.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763662141
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	03/25/2014
Series:	Candlewick Biographies
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	56
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 5.90(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	1050L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

KATHRYN LASKY is the acclaimed author of more than forty books for children, including VISION OF BEAUTY: THE STORY OF SARAH BREEDLOVE WALKER; A VOICE OF HER OWN: THE STORY OF PHILLIS WHEATLEY, SLAVE POET; INTERRUPTED JOURNEY: SAVING ENDANGERED SEA TURTLES; and SUGARING TIME, which was a Newbery Honor Book. Of JOHN MUIR: AMERICA'S FIRST ENVIRONMENTALIST, she says, "This book is a celebration of one man's imagination and prescience, as well as his capacity to live creatively in great solitude."

STAN FELLOWS studied at the Minnesota College of Art and Design and at the Art Center College of Design, in Pasadena, California. He has illustrated several books for children and has done editorial work for magazines. About JOHN MUIR, he says, "This book was an absolute delight to work on. Going to my studio each day to paint these pieces was like taking the day off to wander fields and mountains."

Editorial Reviews

Engaging . . . Muir’s passion and sense of adventure are beautifully rendered.
—Washington Parent

Lasky not only outlines the course of [Muir's] life, but eloquently conveys his motivation - a profound delight in what he called 'wildness' in the natural world.
—Kirkus Reviews

A good starting place for science and biography projects, this book will also appeal to young activists with its message about people needing 'beauty as well as bread.'
—Booklist

From the Publisher

Gr 3-4-Lasky's picture-book sketch of the naturalist's life focuses on Muir's special love of California's snowy Sierras and Yosemite Valley and his successes in founding Yosemite National Park and the Sierra Club. The author recounts aspects of Muir's boyhood years in Scotland and teens in Wisconsin to introduce his personality and interests, and the brief account of his accomplishments closes with the often-told story of his Alaskan adventure with his dog Stickeen in 1870 and a page on the 1890 legislation to establish Yosemite as a park. The epilogue summarizes his achievements and later years without indicating how long he actually lived. Fellows's acrylic paintings, sometimes full page and often wrapping around the text, provide pleasant impressions of the man and the impressive landscape. This is a useful introduction to Muir, the founding of the national parks, and the broader idea of environmentalism. A final page describes the work of the Sierra Club.-Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

In this double-stranded tribute to Muir, who was a driving force behind the creation of the National Parks system, a founder of the Sierra Club and a brilliant inventor too, Lasky not only outlines the course of his life, but eloquently conveys his motivation-a profound delight in what he called "wildness" in the natural world. Fellows places him, as is only appropriate considering that he spent most of his life outdoors, in a variety of wide-open, rugged settings. Though there are several recent profiles of Muir for younger audiences, children will come away from this one with particular admiration for the spirit of a man who "found temples of light in mountain valleys, a song in the water of a stream, a symphony in a storm-tossed tree, and snow flowers in a blizzard." (bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 7-9)

Kirkus Reviews