Locks, Crocs, & Skeeters: The Story of the Panama Canal

From School Library Journal Grade 3-6?A fascinating mixture of history and biography. Parker begins by illustrating James Stanley Gilbert's poem "Beyond the Chagres," which vividly portrays the horrific dangers of the jungle. However, the watercolor, pen, and colored-pencil illustrations lighten the tone somewhat. In the pages that follow, the author presents the history of the region, beginning with the earliest explorers over 400 years ago and continuing through the completion of the canal to its uses and status today. She also offers brief biographies of the significant people involved in the venture. The importance of the canal and its costs in human, monetary, and ecological terms are objectively presented. The wonderfully clear and detailed maps and drawings are extraordinarily helpful in supporting the clearly written, informative text, while Parker's portraits of the people provide the touch of humor that is characteristic of much of her nonfiction. (The snake slithering above Teddy Roosevelt's head is a perfect example.) An exceptional work that deserves a place in every collection, and that will serve nicely as an introduction to Judith St. George's The Panama Canal (Putnam, 1989).?Linda Greengrass, Bank Street College Library, New York CityCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. From