Deer World.

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

This most unusual album is simply a collection of one photo, and caption, for each day of the year. The theme is deer in North America, by which is meant all species—white-tail, black-tail, mule, Sitka, Key, and Axis—plus moose, elk, and caribou, which are also members of the deer family. White-tail deer, elk, and moose predominate, for a total of approximately 165 photos. Other deer species divide the remaining hefty photo count with an assortment of birds and animals that share the same habitat. These include, for example, wolves, bears, owls, vultures, rabbits, foxes, turkeys, heron, sheep, eagles, weasels, coyotes, and alligators.

There is no text beyond a brief introduction, yet through the use of captions the work provides an overview on the species. Topics mentioned include antlers, the rut, calving, habitat, food, metabolism, insect parasites, predators, and population density. While each snippet of information is brief and the captions-only approach gives a disjointed feeling to the work, a sense of the social systems of these herd animals does emerge. Range maps add to the slight information content.

The photos are the product of shoots throughout Canada and the U.S., from Florida and the Gulf Coast to Yukon and Alaska, from Newfoundland to British Columbia.

All the photos are at least good. Many are great. A few are outstanding. They include a range from close-up to panorama, from single animal to large group views. With the day-of-the-year format, the selection captures the deer’s world in all seasons. The layout is attractive; the overall impression is one of richness.