Animal Friends of the North: Stories and Crafts of the Wildlife Found in Northern Canada and Alaska

Pat Galloway is the resource librarian for the Toronto & District Parent
Co-operative Preschool Corporation.

This big book of crafts and stories centres on well-known wildlife
species of Alaska and northern Canada, and is intended for children aged
8 and up. Each craft idea is accompanied by a short, well-composed
vignette on the habitat and characteristics of each species. Younger
children will delight in these little tales of Mindy Mouse or Sammy the
Snowshoe Hare before creating them in paper form.

The selection of craft activities shows an imaginative use of everyday
materials and an admirable variety of formats, ranging from puppets to
mobiles. Instructions for the crafts are clear and logical, and
supported by bold and graphic illustrations. The similar size and scale
of many of the crafts means that they can be combined as part of a
classroom project. All of the suggested activities require good
paper-cutting skills.

The major flaw in this well-meaning collection is that children mature
enough to handle the challenging crafts on their own will find the
accompanying stories somewhat juvenile. Although articulate and well
written, these stories lack that element of mystery and drama that
captivates the 8- to 12-year-old reader. This does not, however, detract
from the book’s activity value, particularly in a group setting where
preassembly of craft pieces or parent involvement will help younger
children make the most of this very nice book. Recommended.