S is for Sleeping Bear Dunes

July 1, 2015

Gr 1-3-Employing a similar format to that of several of her previous informational books, such as L Is for Lincoln: An Illinois Alphabet (Sleeping Bear, 2000), Wargin introduces readers to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, a national park located on Michigan's Lower Peninsula, by incorporating a relevant topic for each letter of the alphabet ("C is for Cherries," "D is for Dune Club!"). Illustrations cover two-thirds of each page, while the colored strip that fills the remainder of the page contains three short paragraphs of factual tidbits, written in rather sophisticated language. Accompanying each illustration is a quatrain, most of which feel forced and lacks meaningful information ("L is Lake Michigan!/Freshwater sea-/we'll ride the waves/as they roll ... 1-2-3!/Splish! Splash!"). In contrast, van Frankenhuyzen's accomplished oil-painted scenery and portraiture capture visitors, wild inhabitants, and points of interest throughout the day and the seasons in a gentle, painterly style. Images include a family arriving at the beach, children holding freshly picked cherries, and visitors climbing a dune. For many of the illustrations depicting people, van Frankenhuyzen's work achieves an almost photo-realistic quality. VERDICT Though this is an attractive title, the lackluster poetry detracts from the handsome visuals.-Susan Scheps, formerly at Shaker Public Library, OH

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