Marjory's river of grass Marjory Stoneman Douglas, fierce protector of the Everglades

When environmental activist/journalist/author Marjory Stoneman Douglas first visited the Florida Everglades as a young woman, profiteers were hunting alligators to make shoes, wallets, and handbags out of their skins, killing herons and egrets to use their plumes to decorate women's hats, and draining water that supported plants and animals away to towns and cities. This picture-book biography skillfully traces Douglas' decades-long fight to save the Everglades, emphasizing how she saw beauty and inestimable value in an area that many dismissed as a swamp. It starts with young Douglas, just out of college in 1915, being completely bowled over when she first saw the colors and creatures of the Everglades, then outraged that developers planned to "reclaim" the largest subtropical wilderness in the U.S. The illustrations wonderfully contrast the beauty of the Everglades and the peril they faced by using blue, green, and pink pastels for the landscape and sky, set against drizzly grays for construction scenes. The story is suspenseful, with the fate of the Everglades constantly in doubt, and the pivotal point comes with the publication of Douglas' book, The Everglades: River of Grass, in 1947, which resulted in Congress designating the Everglades a national park. An invigorating story that should inspire young readers to enlist in environmental efforts.

In this place-based tale of 20th-century conservation, James's straightforward storytelling and gentle, chalky artwork capture the abiding appreciation of nature writer Marjory Stoneman Douglas (1890--1998) for the Florida Everglades. The narrative begins after the protagonist, a recent college grad, arrives in Florida and first learns about the state's wetlands, as well as worrisome efforts to drain them. Smitten with the landscape, she wields her pen in support of local preservation efforts, eventually authoring a now-classic work that helps propel the area toward protected status. Alongside peaceful, airbrush-like vistas of the landscape, bright-eyed text carefully traces Stoneman Douglas's involvement in protection efforts, underscoring water's importance while building toward the idea that "Florida's precious water still flows because new generations continue to protect and defend... the Everglades." Most characters are portrayed with pale skin. Back matter includes an author's note. Ages 4--8. (Apr.)

Gr 1--4--In 1915, when Marjory Stoneman Douglas stepped off of the train in Miami, she had to ask her father what the Everglades were. By the late 1940s, she would be one of the people responsible for saving them. Douglas quickly fell in love with the region's beauty and unique ecosystem, only to confront the looming threats to its survival. Through adept biographical storytelling, Douglas's life's work of fighting for the Everglades is brought to the center. Her passion and perseverance helped bring about the recognition of the Everglades as a designated treasure by the National Park Service in the 1930s, and eventually, its establishment as a national park in 1947. But the work of protecting and preserving this land was far from over. The narrative, while concise and clear, is marked by poetic flourishes that engage young readers while maintaining focus on Douglas's legacy. The inclusion of primary source quotes from Douglas's seminal work, River of Grass, along with presidential declarations, enriches the narrative and provides authentic voices to the historical context. The back matter includes valuable source materials and additional information. VERDICT An excellent starting place for educators and young environmentalists alike, this is highly recommended for classrooms and libraries.--Louie Lauer

This picture-book biography of Marjory Stoneman Douglas leans into her passion for Florida's Everglades. A Minnesotan by birth, Douglas arrived in Florida in 1915 as a college graduate, joining her estranged journalist father at theMiami Herald. There, she fell in love with the Everglades and used her writing skills to draw attention to their importance and to advocate for their preservation. Seeing this ambition become reality took decades of persistence and incremental success. James' text, set in small, businesslike type on her backgrounds, leads readers on a jerky path through Douglas' long life (she died at 108). They meet many of the influential men in her life--her editor, her fellow activists--but not the husband whose surname she adopted. That is but one omission that readers may note in this elliptical text. Most notable is the stark absence of the Miccosukee and the Seminole; while the text waxes lyrical about the flora and fauna, it is silent about the human residents of the Everglades. Information is too frequently conveyed in awkward, expository, and unsourced dialogue; James' digital artwork often has a distinctly uncanny-valley effect. She places her white subject, usually clad in hat and pearls, amid a variety of swampy settings. Backmatter offers an author's note, information on water resources, a bibliography, and source notes. Douglas' life and work were important; this attempt to celebrate them falls short. (list of relevant organizations)(Picture-book biography. 7-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.