Stranger in the Woods: A Photographic Fantasy (Nature)

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read For children and their parents!
Review: "Stranger in the Woods" and their other book "Lost in the Woods" are the most beautiful children's books I've ever seen! Children will delight in these photographs, and love the little story as will their parents. I am dishearted by one reviewer's comments below. It's a children's book, not the "great american novel". This book is simply magical. A treasure beyond any book I've seen recently. Don't hesitate. This book is wonderful and well worth your money as you will keep it forever for it's photographic beauty and enchanting prose.

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Summary: Whose woods these are I think I know
Review: A winner of the Benjamin Franklin Award (nope, I never heard of it either) from the Publishers Marketing Association as well as garnering an International Reading Association Award, "Stranger In the Woods" is a picture book told in nature photographs and prose. The amount of picture books told solely in photos today is slim at best. No photographic picture book has ever won the coveted Caldecott Award. No photographic picture book has even so much as made itself into its own specific genre. Much as photographs are given short shrift in art galleries (there are those that claim its very mechanics keep it from attaining the status of "true art"), photos are also fairly ignored as a medium through which to tell tales to children. Working to remedy this problem, photographers Carl R. Sams II and his wife Jean Stoick have captured a series of winter pictures taken in the wilds of either Canada or the upper Midwest. Yet while these photographs are stunning as a whole, the text fails to live up to its potential.

The book begins like so: "The snowflakes were resting after their twisting twirling dance through the crisp night air". The reader is privy to a beautifully white clad snowscape, every tree and bush covered in a thick coat of winter snow. As we watch, animals call to one another with a warning. There is a stranger in the woods. The birds are the first to announce this unprecedented event. A blue jay perched on a branch gives hew and cry. An owl (sadly, the book does not say what kind of owl it is) asks a myriad of different questions about the stranger. After the birds have had their say, the mammals chime in. Neither muskrat nor deer has seen the stranger pass, but a squirrel is quick to spot the red hatted one. Ever so slowly the animals approach, soon fighting over who should be the first to reach the stranger. A chickadee takes the lead, perching on the stranger's fine carrot nose. After it announces that this odd white creature is covered in tasty treats, everyone wants to come close. It has nuts for eyes, and a hat full of seeds. Even the timid doe is bold enough to snatch the creature's nose. Unseen, two children crouch behind some oddly computer manipulated greenery, replenishing their snowman's hat, eyes, and nose so that the animals will have more to eat another day.

As I've said, the pictures are lovely. This is winter at its brightest and bleakest. The sky is a permanent grey with cheery trees and grounds of white. Children reading this book will be delighted at the prospect that kids like themselves could come so close to the variety of different animals and birds that live in snowy woods in wintertime. Many of the photographs are digitally manipulated, but the manipulation (with the exception of the aforementioned weirdo trees the kids hide behind) for the most part is not jarring to the eye. Unfortunately, when photographers decide to write children's books, they should consider hiring a writer as well. While the story the book tells is inviting, the text is sadly stilted. Some of the book rhymes, but it can't seem to make up its mind whether to rhyme all the time, or only in sections. Therefore, a section reading "Wow! A carrot! Do I have to share it?" is followed by "What is this? questioned the fawn as he passed a curious object in the snow". Beyond the obvious objections such as these, the book reads without much in the way of flair or verve. Textually it's like every other mediocre picture book out there. The only difference is that its matched with beautifully staged photographs.

Author/photographers Carl R. Sams II & Jean Stoick would have done well to consult similar picture books about different animals interacting with humans in the winter months. Sadly this book does not live up to the standards set by such lush winter fantasies as "The Big Snow", a Caldecott winning book written and illustrated by another husband and wife team, Berta and Elmer Hader. If you'd like a wintery tale that is well drawn as well as well written, seek that book out ASAP. If, on the other hand, you don't mind reading something that's a little dull but pretty to the eye, by all means go to "Stranger In the Woods". It's inoffensive enough, but when you can consider all the wonderful picture books available to kids today I can't really recommend the title wholeheartedly. It's a nice book. Just don't expect to be blown away.

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Summary: Beautiful!
Review: A wonderful story told with exquisite photography. A great book for young and old alike!

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Summary: Shouldn't be a Stranger to Kids
Review: Absolutely wonderful book the reading is quick and simple for the littlest of folk and the photography is sure to please both young'ns and adults alike.

Rating:
Summary: not that great
Review: I expected something with a bit more philosophy I guess. The pictures are cute but the story is pretty trite and there's no message per se. I sold it on Amazon after readng it and being disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic book
Review: I love this book. The photographs are excellent. And the story is cute, too. I read it to my kids at school and they simply loved it. It's one of the first books they want to read (look at). They are only K-2 age, so some words are too difficult for them. They also have a video out about the book. See it at strangerinthewoods.com

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Summary: Fantastic photographic impulse buy!
Review: My husband and I ran across this book at Christmas time, in a music store! It was not what we went there for (a gift for a musician), but we both loved it so much...we bought it without thinking about it! My husband, as a photographer, and I, as a deaf person, loved the gorgeous pictures. As grandparents who are trying to teach the value and beauty of the natural world to our grandchildren, we felt this is a unique addition to our 'coffee table books'. We refuse to buy books that merely sit there, and are not enjoyed...this particular book provides hours of enjoyment all year round for both us and our grandchildren.

As always we enjoy anything with a sense of humor. The photograph of the deer eating the carrot nose of the snowman, really was the clinching selling point for this incredible book.

Karen Sadler,
Science Education,
University of Pittsburgh

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant! Gorgeous! A must for every household!
Review: Noted wildlife photographers and authors Carl Sams and his wife, Jean Stoick have combined their talents to offer a wonderful children's book that sets a new and higher standard for all children's books to follow.

Instead of the typical cartoon characters, Stranger in the Woods displays actual photographs and heartfelt words that offer an enlightening message on two levels. The photography is awesome...they set up their camera in a clearing of the woods near a snowman. The snowman was complete with hat, gloves and a carrot nose.

The bluejays, owls, chickadees, squirrels, porcupines, rabbits, field mice, cardinals...and, yes, children are all captured on film...checking out this marvelous snowman. But the most endearing creatures are the deer, who came to investigate, and eat the carrot nose.

The photos and text teach appreciation of nature and integrity of all beings. Most of all, Stranger in the Woods instills and encourages a message of love and compassion for our children to learn early in life. It is no wonder that Stranger in the Woods won the prestigious Ben Franklin Award as the best children's picture book of 2000.

In this reviewer's opinion, Stranger in the Woods should be read by adults as well. You see, Carl Sams and Jean Stoick deliver the message that there is more to living than greed and power. And that is, we share our planet with others, and the others don't always walk on two feet!

Rating:
Summary: Well Worth the price!
Review: This book has beautiful photographs to go along with the catchy text. I recommend this for any nature lover...young or old!

Rating:
Summary: Pure Magic
Review: This is a magical book for people of all ages. The photography of Carl Sams II captures some beautiful moments as the animals of the forest discover the 'stranger' that children have built as a kind of Christmas present. The words that Jean Stoick wrote beautifully express the ideas found in each photograph, that such special places are shared and not owned. For me, it is the appreciation of nature, for all of the creature that live in wilderness areas, that makes this story so appealing. These days, with all of the threats from humans that deer and forest areas are under, it is good to see a story where such places ' they might be in our backyards ' are appreciated as a special place. It reminds me of special wooded places that no longer exist due to development. There was a suggestion that the deer photographed for this book were overpopulating their area of wilderness but, happily, it was proven to be untrue.

Stranger in the Woods has received many awards, and it is wonderful that a book that so simply teaches an appreciation of nature should receive so much attention. This book belongs on the shelf of all households.