cover image LOST IN THE WOODS: A Photographic Fantasy

LOST IN THE WOODS: A Photographic Fantasy

Jean Stoick, Carl R. Sams, II, . . Carl R. Sams II Photography, $19.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-9671748-8-4

The creators of Stranger in the Woods , a bestselling photoessay spotlighting animals in a wintry forest, set this impressive follow-up in springtime. The primary focus is on a newborn fawn, first seen sleeping "in the tall grass on the north edge of the meadow where the trees start the forest." Other animals, photographed in stunning close-ups, wonder if the fawn is lost, but the creature responds, "Mama said to wait, to wait right here.... She will come back." A brilliantly hued cardinal, downy goslings, a well-camouflaged tree frog, a dragonfly perched atop a turtle, a meadowlark and a baby raccoon (hanging precariously by its front paws from a log) are among the crisply photographed critters offering comments and encouragement to the fawn. The doe does indeed return to check on her offspring—and eventually to take him with her. (The back flap copy explains that newborn fawns spend most of the first two weeks of life without their mothers, since her scent will attract predators to her young.) The animals' conversation is often endearing and lends itself to reading aloud—but it is the book's breathtaking photography that will cast a spell, not just on children but wildlife aficionados of any age. Ages 6-10. (June)