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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Most children are captivated by snow, but how many go on to make
it their lifework? This beautiful biography, winner of the 1999
Caldecott Medal, tells the true story of a Vermont farm boy who
was mesmerized by snowflakes. Wilson Bentley was fascinated by the
six-sided frozen phenomena, and once he acquired a microscope with
a camera, his childhood preoccupation took on a more scientific
leaning. Bentley spent his life taking countless exquisite photographs
(many that are still used in nature photography today), examining
the tiny crystals and their delicate, mathematical structures. Jacqueline
Briggs Martin tells this tale with simple, graceful prose that will
engage children's imaginations. Edifying and snowflake-scattered
sidebars offer more information about Bentley's methods and snowflake
science. The artwork of Mary Azarian, whose 19th-century hand-press
illustrations decorate the charming Barn Cat, shines once again
in Snowflake Bentley, with woodcuts that reveal an appreciation
for detail as well as for the man who loved snow. The lovely illustrations
and equally fresh text will inspire and comfort youngsters (and
grownups too) who wish they could capture snowflakes all year long.
(Ages 4 to 8) --Brangien Davis
From Publishers Weekly
Azarian's (A Farmer's Alphabet) handsome woodcuts provide a homespun
backdrop to Martin's (Grandmother Bryant's Pocket) brief biography
of a farmboy born in 1865 on the Vermont snowbelt who never lost his
fascination with snowflakes. Wilson A. Bentley spent 50 years pioneering
the scientific study of ice crystals, and developed a technique of
microphotography that allowed him to capture the hexagonal shapes
and prove that no two snowflakes are alike. Martin conveys Bentley's
passion in lyrical language ("snow was as beautiful as butterflies,
or apple blossoms"), and punctuates her text with frequent sidebars
packed with intriguing tidbits of information (though readers may
be confused by the two that explain Bentley's solution of how to photograph
the snowflakes). Hand-tinted with watercolors and firmly anchored
in the rural 19th century, Azarian's woodcuts evoke an era of sleighs
and woodstoves, front porches and barn doors, and their bold black
lines provide visual contrast to the delicate snowflakes that float
airily in the sidebars. A trio of Bentley's ground-breaking black-and-white
photographs of snowflakes, along with a picture and quote from him
about his love for his work, is the icing that tops off this attractive
volume. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-This picture-book biography beautifully
captures the essence of the life and passion of Wilson A. Bentley
(1865-1931), known to many as "The Snowflake Man." A plaque
in his hometown honors the work of this simple farmer who labored
for 50 years to develop a technique of microphotography in an attempt
to capture "...the grandeur and mystery of the snowflake."
The story of this self-taught scientist begins with his early interest
in the beauty of snow and his determination to find a way of sharing
that beauty with others. At 16, his parents spent their life's savings
on a special camera with its own microscope so he could make a permanent
record of individual snowflakes. After two years of work, he perfected
a technique for making acceptable pictures. He spent the rest of
his life photographing ice crystals and sharing them with neighbors
and interested scientists and artists around the world. Azarian's
woodblock illustrations, hand tinted with watercolors, blend perfectly
with the text and recall the rural Vermont of Bentley's time. The
inclusion of a photograph of the scientist at work and three of
his remarkable photographs adds authenticity. Two articles about
his work, one written by Bentley himself, are listed on the CIP
page. The story of this man's life is written with graceful simplicity.
Sidebars decorated with snowflakes on every page add facts for those
who want more details. An inspiring selection.
Virginia Golodetz, Children's Literature New England, Burlington,
VT
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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