Chicago Botanic Garden

Education — Lenhardt Library

Current Books & Book Reviews

PHOTO: bookcover

Tom Long.
New England Nature Watch:
A Month-by-Month Guide to the Natural World Around Us.
Beverly, Mass.: Commonwealth Editions, 2003.
cloth, 166 p., ISBN 1–889–83359–2, $19.95.

Journalist Tom Long's popular nature column in a Boston newspaper served as fodder for this look at the natural world. His lifetime of observing animal life outdoors has given him special insight into the regular but sometimes subtle phenomena that correlate with the seasons. He reports on the monthly changes that take place throughout the Northeast. His text also highlights nature's special events, such as great snowfalls and hurricanes that affected New England. His literary style charms the reader into observing nature more closely. The drawings by wildlife artist Jay J. Johnson capture the character of the featured bird, moth, or beaver more truly than any photograph. This is an informative and pleasurable book to read.

— Marilyn K. Alaimo, garden writer and volunteer, Chicago Botanic Garden.