Olympic National Park, Washington State

Gr 5 Up-One in a series that covers America's national parks and historic reserves, this treatment contains just about anything viewers could possibly want to know about the much-visited Olympic National Park in Washington State. The folksy narrator, with a voice reminiscent of Disney's Fess Parker, gives information on landforms, climatic conditions (which vary from area to area in the park-rainforest to rain shadow), flora and fauna, and its cultural history. The voice-over is matched by footage of the park, generally showing the topic under discussion. There are exceptions, such as when the discussion on trees in the park is matched with footage of a waterfall. An informative National Forest Service ranger shares the narration, but the intended audience may not engage with all of the facts and figures. The DVD also includes information on five other Washington State parks and historic sites. VERDICT This is a strictly secondary purchase for social studies programs where budgets are ample.-Ann Welton, Helen B. Stafford Elementary, Tacoma, WA © Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.