JOHN MUIR

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)