Gibbons a master of nonfiction for kids> Books skillfully capture readers’ attention

SOARING WITH THE WIND: THE BALD EAGLE, by Gail Gibbons, Morrow Junior Books, New York, 1998, 32 pages, hardcover, $16.

MARSHES AND SWAMPS, by Gail Gibbons, Holiday House, New York, 1998, 32 pages, hardcover, $15.95.

A majestic bald eagle plunges toward a lake. The text reads, “A huge bird swoops down.” On the next page the reason for the bird’s descent is revealed in lively pictures and accompanying text that reads, “In the blink of an eye it snatches a fish from the waters below …” In this terse opening Gail Gibbons captures the reader’s attention as skillfully as the raptor — bird of prey — she is describing snags its catch.

Children’s nonfiction has evolved at the speed of light from the bland, boring fare of my childhood to a genre outstanding in both appearance and content. Use of the picture book format has simultaneously allowed the introduction of quite sophisticated concepts to young children and legitimized for older students volumes rich in text and illustration that provide the context to facilitate comprehension in the viusal as well as the verbal learner. Author-illustrator Gibbons has emerged as one the grand masters of the new children’s nonfiction picture books.

In “Soaring with the Wind: The Bald Eagle” the reader gets to know this fascinating raptor inside and out from its hollow, air filled bones to its 7,000 overlapping feathers. Comparisons to an airplane help explain how it flies. A section on mating and courtship rituals introduces its complex life cycle. The significance of this magnificent bird in Native American beliefs is discussed.

Another of Gibbons’ books, “Marshes & Swamps,” describes those precious wetlands and their importance to the environment. Each type of marsh or swamp — from the familiar freshwater swamp — with its moose, bear, deer, and beaver inhabitants to the tropical mangrove swamp where fish seek shelter in tangled underwater tree roots and exotic birds wade on stiltlike legs — is pictured in great detail. The reader learns how animals and plants adapt to and depend on these habitats. A map of United States wetlands includes Maine’s own Moosehorn National Wildlife Refuge.

Both books show Gibbons’ strong concern for the environment. The bald eagle’s struggle back from endangered to threatened species status and the destruction of marshes and swamps by human encroachment are discussed.

Gibbons has a good sense of what children want to know. (Even a highly literate parent, though, can learn from her books!) And if a child becomes really excited about a topic her excellent introduction can serve as strong foundation for further research.

Gibbons is the author of dozens of books on topics ranging from animals (“Dogs,” “Whales”), through holiday celebrations (“Christmas Time,” “Thanksgiving Day”) and even into space (“The Planets,” “Stargazers”). Some topics were suggested by publishers. Others were inspired by her own life experiences. “The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree” was based on her own son’s adventures with a favorite tree. Living on an island off Maine’s coast has been the impetus for several books. Her advice to aspiring writers and-or illustrators: “Do something that you’re excited about.”

For Gibbons the most exciting part of her work is learning about each subject in depth: conducting research and meeting experts in the field. The most challenging aspect is creating the illustrations which take far more time than writng the text. Eventually all facets blend into a harmonious whole. “To me, putting a nonfiction book together is like watching the pieces of a puzzle finally fitting together. Bit by bit it takes its form. I really enjoy learning about things and introducing them to children in words and pictures.”

Gibbons’ fans have much to look forward to. This year alone she has books coming out on the deep, dark sea, dragon lore from different cultures, pigs (“such neat critters”), bats, pumpkins, and — just in time for Christmas — Santa. Being quite content with her vocation, she plans in the future to keep on enjoying what she’s doing.

Gibbons vigorously disagrees with those who prophesy that in our lifetime nonfiction books will be rendered obsolete by electronic media. “Computers just aren’t as tactile. You can’t cuddle up under a quilt with one.”

Now here’s a first-rate way to expand your family’s horizons without leaving your home. Get comfortable with quilts or whatever works for you and enjoy some good books by Gail Gibbons.