The fabulous Jim Arnosky - author, artist and natural historian for the young - offers a useful field guide in this wonderful little book, presenting all sorts of helpful information and tips for young walkers and animal watchers. Divided into four sections, as enumerated in the sub-title, the book discusses bugs (defined colloquially as both insects and arachnids), land animals, birds, and water fauna and flora. Arnosky's reminiscences about his own time in the wild world are scattered throughout, and a helpful index is included at the rear...

Published in 2002, it is clear that Field Trips: Bug Hunting, Animal Tracking, Bird-Watching, Shore Walking has taken the informational content of the Jim Arnosky's Nature Notebooks series, published in 1997 - Bug Hunter, Animal Tracker, Bird Watcher, and Shore Walker - and combined it in a slightly edited and enhanced format. The notebooks were more than half blank, to provide young nature watchers a place to record their findings, whereas this title is not intended to be used in that way, simply presenting the information about each of the four subjects, together with Arnosky's detailed artwork and diagrams, and advising the reader to provide themselves with a separate notebook of their own. Still, having read two of the notebooks - Bug Hunter and Animal Tracker - and compared them to this title, it is clear that the majority of both text and illustration here are taken from these earlier titles. Given that this is so, I was very surprised to see no acknowledgement of this fact, in an author's foreword or afterword, in the dust-jacket blurb, or even on the book's colophon. I suppose that, since it is the author's own work, it isn't technically necessary, but I've never seen such an overt reworking as this, that didn't reference the earlier work. Leaving that issue aside, this is an informative and engaging title, and is one I would recommend to young animal and nature lovers, particularly those eager to get out into the world and see what they can see. ( )

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Retelling: This author describes how to enjoy bug hunting, animal tracking, shore walking, and bird watching. He tells you what materials you'll want to bring, where you'll want to go, what you might see, and how to record everything you've learned in a notebook.

Thoughts and Feelings: I love books that make you want to go out and do things. This is one of those books. I am very excited to try these field trips. ( )

The illustrations in this book are worthwhile not only for children who like to get out into nature, but for children who are interested in drawing what they find. Even if you never make it into the nature but are interested in drawing, this book has some great illustrations to try.