Sam's Bush Journey

K-Gr 2—Living in Australia, Sam's grandmother loves the bush that surrounds her house. On their long walks into the gum forest to the waterhole, spiky shrubs scratch the boy's legs and mosquitoes bite him. Though Nanna tells him about the many good things there, Sam would be happy if they all disappeared. One night he dreams of wandering in the bush lost and alone. Remembering what Nanna has told him, he finds edible berries when his stomach grumbles and shelter in a hollow gum tree during a storm. The singing of birds leads him to fresh water at the waterhole. Worn out from his adventure, he sleeps in the shade of a tree and wakes in his own bed. With a new awareness of his surroundings, Sam gladly accompanies his grandmother on her next journey to the waterhole. Bright, full-color spreads are filled with mammals, birds, and reptiles among tall gum trees while the waterhole, filled with fish, seems to rise out of the landscape. Stunning illustrations feature thick black outlines and intricate patterns, evoking the Aboriginal culture of the book's creators. The story can be read independently, and the vivid illustrations will nurture an appreciation of the ecology of the Australian bush.—Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN