Great Northern Diver: The Loon

Book Review From BOOKLIST

"This quiet, elegant picture book introduces the loon, an unusual looking and sometimes startling water fowl that clearly strikes the author as a bird worth knowing about. Her claim becomes clear in an appreciative text that explains much about these birds, including their status as the most primitive in North America....Brown's accompanying watercolors show off the birds and their northern setting with assurance, supporting factual information, and making the water, woodsy landscape seem real. A lovely introduction." --Denise Wilms

"Handsome paintings dramatize a text describing the loon's biannual migrations, striking plumage, eery calls, and territory, flight, breeding, and feeding patterns. Both author and artist walk the fine line between aesthetics and information; in spite of her lyrical style, Esbensen never tips the factual balance by becoming self-indulgently poetic, and Brown satisfies viewers with eye-catching landscapes that maintain accuracy of botanical and avian detail." --Betsy Hearne

"Clear, lively language brings immediacy to the narration....Brown skillfully combines double-page landscapes with close-up views of the loons throughout the book. The black-and-white patterns of their breeding plumage are clear and crisp, and she captures realistic positions as they dive, fly, and protect their nests. While facts about the loon are available in bird identification guides and reference materials, no one book captures the beauty of this water bird in its serene summer habitat better than this one." --Diane Nunn

Barbara Juster Esbensen Memorial

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