Gorilla Walk (Adventures Around the World) - Softcover

TED and BETSY LEWIN have been traveling the world together for decades and have chronicled many of their wide-ranging adventures in books for young readers. They both have won numerous awards and honors for their books, including Caldecott Medal Honors, ALA Notables, New York Times Best Illustrated Books, and School Library Journal Best Books. When not teaching, visiting with young fans, or traveling, the Lewins are usually drawing and painting in their Brooklyn, New York, home studios.

This gorgeous book is the illustrated journal of the Lewins' trip to Uganda to see the mountain gorilla. An introduction talks about this endangered species, where the animals can be found, and describes the process of 'habituation,' which allows for ecotourists to visit them on a limited basis. Each page is rich with captioned, border drawings that offer glimpses at the terrain, animals, and people that the couple encountered on their difficult journey through the jungle, battling heat, bugs, and mud. Side drawings show their progress, providing humorous asides. . . . Interspersed with the text are lush, watercolor double-page spreads showing the humans walking through the sun-dappled trees, and, later, the gorillas among the leaves. Readers learn about the animals' habits, their family structure, and how trackers interact with them. A final section gives facts about mountain gorillas. Throughout, the authors transmit their wonder and respect for the creatures. . . . This is a visual feast. --School Library Journal

The Lewins' first collaboration recounts their 1997 journey to southern Uganda to view mountain gorillas. Before taking readers along on their expedition, the authors explain the phenomenon of ecotourism that makes such sightings possible: trackers spend up to two years habituating mountain gorillas to the presence of humans. Writing in the present tense, the Lewins emphasize the rough conditions, noting that 'the heat and humidity are dreadful' and, though their water supply is depleted, they trudge on. . . . The watercolor art alternates between labeled, sketchbook-type images and full-spread, realistic paintings rendered with an appreciation for light and shadow. The former offer a solid overview of the area's wildlife and illustrate selected moments in the Lewins' travelogue, while the latter situate readers at the trekkers' side. --Publishers Weekly

Using an oversize picture-book format to good effect, the Lewins recount a trip they took in 1997 to visit Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park to 'meet the mountain gorilla.' Briefly captioned, thumbnail watercolors picture the jungle trek, and magnificent double-page spreads replicate the exotic surroundings and show the animals close up. A good deal of the text, which is told in Ted Lewin's voice, concerns the arduous but exhilarating journey to the sites, but there is also information on the gorillas themselves, with basics supplied in a double-page spread at the close of the book. The Lewins also provide historical context as well as some insight into the controversial trend toward ecotourism. The personal voice and picture-book approach will definitely win an audience. --Kirkus Reviews