School Library Journal Starred Review (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Gr 3-5--Sitting on an ice layer as thick, to use Markle's measure, as 500 school bus lengths, the research stations at the South Pole have sheltered scientists since the late 1950s. Except for the tops of chimneys and antennas, the first facility has been completely buried; as the second is well on its way to the same fate, a third is currently under construction. The author explains how the combination of clear ice, clean air, long nights, and harsh climate makes the area a prime site for research by astronomers, planetologists, ecologists, and those in many other fields, thus justifying the work involved in building new stations. The brief text accompanies full-color photos and artists' views that not only show a variety of buildings and instruments adapted to the bitter conditions, but also effectively capture the South Pole's utter remoteness. Use this as a lead-in to more detailed accounts of the continent's exploration and settlement, such as Laurence Pringle's Antarctica (S & S, 1992) or Markle's own Pioneering Frozen Worlds (Atheneum, 1996).--John Peters, New York Public Library

ALA Booklist

In Alaska's Denali National Park, one area is transformed from meadow to lake and back again as the seasons progress. When winter snows melt, water pours in, attracting shorebirds, moose, and other creatures. As summer goes on, the level of the lake drops, sending some animals on their way and luring new ones that like the muddy lake bottom. Flowers and grasses take the place of the water, but soon the snows will fall again. An author's note explains the concept of vernal lakes, and a concluding spread gives further information on some of the creatures mentioned. Crisply illuminated details lend an almost photographic quality to the large, spacious paintings, which do justice to both plants and animals. Although the overall tone is quiet and the pace slow, even younger children will enjoy seeing the wolves, caribou, and other woodland animals in their settings. (Reviewed March 15, 1997)

Horn Book (Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 1997)

The book introduces readers to vernal lakes--'temporary water systems created by rainwater or by snow melting in the spring.' Tranquil paintings depict the transformation of a lake into a meadow with the change of seasons. 'Field Notes' at the back of the book supply more information about the numerous creatures that depend on this changing ecosystem.

Kirkus Reviews (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Miller takes a careful look at a temporary water system—a vernal lake in Alaska whose emergence and disappearance each year has given rise to a unique ecosystem. Spring's melting snows collect in a low-lying area to form a lake, which becomes the habitat of moose, bald eagles, golden ducks, and beavers. The lake drains and evaporates slowly; ducks and beaver move on to a bigger lake, while new animals move in, browsing on the soggy lake bottom, which eventually dries out and becomes a meadow. Sparrows, voles, and shrews appear, along with the moose who sleep in the long grass. In autumn the birds are on wing for warmer locales; in winter the field is covered with snow, and the cycle will soon repeat itself. Van Zyle's realistic paintings capture the details of Alaska: moose fur, jangling golden aspen leaves, and the faint rainbows of northern lights in the night sky. An annotated glossary and an author's note fill out the text, which—despite the inclusion of the many creatures that are born or visit the habitat—is more of a poetic chronicle of the lake's life cycle than a factual one. Most readers will be fascinated by the existence of such systems, and only sorry that the ``diving beetles, caddisflies, and water boatmen'' Miller mentions in her note are not featured elsewhere in the book in more detail. (glossary) (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-10)"