Through rhyming text reminiscent of "The House that Jack Built," follows the activities of Mama Loon and her two chicks as they encounter a number of various animals living on the lake.

The hero of this dazzling novel by American master E. L. Doctorow is Joe, a young man on the run in the depths of the Great Depression. A late-summer night finds him alone and shivering beside a railroad track in the Adirondack mountains when a private railcar passes. Brightly lit windows reveal well-dressed men at a table and, in another compartment, a beautiful girl holding up a white dress before her naked form. Joe will follow the track to the mysterious estate at Loon Lake, where he finds the girl along with a tycoon, an aviatrix, a drunken poet, and a covey of gangsters. Here Joe’s fate will play out in this powerful story of ambition, aggression, and identity. Loon Lake is another stunning achievement of this acclaimed author. “Powerful . . . [a] complex and haunting meditation on modern American history.” –The New York Times “A genuine thriller . . . a marvelous exploration of the complexities and contradictions of the American dream . . . Not under any circumstances would we reveal the truly shattering climax.” –The Dallas Morning News “A dazzling performance . . . [Loon Lake] anatomizes America with insight, passion, and inventiveness.” –The Washington Post Book World “Hypnotic . . . tantalizes long after it has ended.” –Time “Compelling . . . brilliantly done.” –St. Louis Post-Dispatch “A masterpiece.” –Chicago Sun-Times

A gorgeously illustrated, lyrical non-fiction picture book about loons. It’s summertime, and as darkness falls there is a haunting sound from the lake — Ooh-hoo-oo, ooh-hoo-oo. It is a loon calling to its family across the water. This lyrical story follows the life cycle of two loon chicks. We see them breaking out of their eggshells, then learning to swim, find food and avoid predators such as snapping turtles and big bass fish. After they learn to fly, they migrate to the ocean. And when their striking black-and-white feathers finally emerge, they fly inland, each to find a new lake territory and mate. Accompanying Susan Vande Griek’s poetic text are Karen Reczuch’s gorgeous illustrations, which show the loons as they grow from tiny downy chicks to majestic adult birds. An afterword provides more information on loons, including their amazing diving ability, the meanings of their calls, and the environmental threats that they face. Also illustrated are five different types of loons and other animals that can be found in their lake habitat. The illustrations were researched in the Ornithology Collections at the Royal Ontario Museum, and Ron Ridout of Bird Studies Canada consulted on the text. Key Text Features illustrations author’s note further reading labels Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.5 Explain major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information, drawing on a wide reading of a range of text types. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.5 Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.7 Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).

The Way of the Loon tells of a spring and summer in a loon family’s life on a lake in the boreal forest. When LaLa and Dapper return to the northern lake to raise a family, challenges lie ahead: hungry eagles, rowdy humans, and a large fish threaten their peace and security. But the loving couple are soon the proud parents of little Chortle, and spend the warm seasons helping him grow and teaching him about the ways of the loon. As he strengthens and matures, Chortle learns that his parents will soon leave him for the south. He will need to learn to listen to the breezes—the breezes will tell him when it’s time to journey on by himself. From their home, two young boys hearing the call of the loons, watch and learn about the birds. Through this watchful, gentle childhood presence, young readers are beckoned into the beautiful, poignant “way of the loon” and the inevitability of growing up.

A mother and son enjoy a peaceful canoe trip until their dog's instinct to chase birds adds excitement to the trip. Includes information about loons and directions for making a loon mask.

The common loon is a graceful and reclusive bird whose eerie, tremolo call is said to capture the spirit of the wild. Call of the Loon offers a stunning, full-color life history of this gorgeous animal while unveiling its mysteries via a unique question-and-answer format authored by two leading experts on loon biology. Both casual and professional natural historians will benefit from this highly informative yet browsy and accessible volume. Packaged with the book is a unique DVD that features the video footage gathered by the BioDiversity Research Institute. Their ""loon cam" has captured exceptional footage of loon nest building, mating, egg hatching, and chick rearing. Along with the breathtaking images, viewers will hear the haunting calls of these beautiful birds.

A gentle read-aloud to help calm every young child's greatest fear.