First published more than three decades ago, this reissue of Rachel
Carson's award-winning classic brings her unique vision to a new
generation of readers. Stunning new photographs by Nick Kelsh
beautifully complement Carson's intimate account of adventures with her
young nephew, Roger, as they enjoy walks along the rocky coast of Maine
and through dense forests and open fields, observing wildlife, strange
plants, moonlight and storm clouds, and listening to the "living music"
of insects in the underbrush.
"If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder." Writes Carson,
"he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it,
rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we
live in." "The Sense of Wonder" is a refreshing antidote to indifference
and a guide to capturing the simple power of discovery that Carson views
as essential to life.
In her insightful new introduction, Linda Lear remembers Rachel Carson's
groundbreaking achievements in the context of the legendary
environmentalist's personal commitment to introducing young and old to
the miracles of nature.
Kelsh's lush photographs inspire sensual, tactile reactions: masses of
leaves floating in a puddle are just waiting to be scooped up and
examined more closely. An image of a narrow path through the trees
evokes the earthy scent of the woods after a summer rain. Close-ups of
mosses and miniature lichen fantasy-lands will spark innocent'as well as
more jaded'imaginations. Like a curious child studying things underfoot
and within reach, Kelsh's camera is drawn to patterns in nature that too
often elude hurried adults'a stand of beech trees in the springtime,
patches of meltingsnow and the ripples from a pebble tossed into a
slow-moving stream.
"The Sense of Wonder" is a timeless volume that will be passed on from
children to grandchildren, as treasured as the memory of an
early-morning walk when the song of a whippoorwill was heard as if for
the first time.
