Near One Cattail: Turtles, Logs and Leaping Frogs

This is the fourth in a series of children’s books by Fredericks and DiRubbio that explore life in a small ecosystem (the others are Under One Rock, In One Tidepool and Around One Cactus). Dawn Publications is a small Nevada City company that specializes, as it says, “in books for children that inspire a deeper understanding for all life on Earth,” and this 32-page large-format volume typifies their high quality. Meant for kids aged 4 to about 10, it combines a sing-song poem with richly detailed full-color pictures to portray the life in a typical wetland. An intro notes that wetlands are fast disappearing, and a follow-up set of “field notes” provides further information about each of the plants and animals described in the story. Further resources—books and conservation groups—are listed as well. Log onto www.dawnpub.com to see the full range of excellent, affordable children’s books from this admirable publisher.