School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6 --This clear, lively text accompanied by lush, bright, full-color photos portrays the grandeur of Yellowstone Park. Explaining the battle against fire from a historical perspective, the authors carefully explain the changing philosophies. The 1988 fire is detailed chronologically with accurate description of all the methods, hard work, and frustration of the fire fighters, and the sense of danger and devastation is also evoked through very descriptive writing. Well-placed photos complement the subjects explained in the text. The fire photos sear with heat, and many of the pictures of wildlife will have real child appeal. Not one aspect has been left out; the all-important role of the impact of weather conditions is also stressed. The authors conclude their logical, unbiased presentation of the constant, natural development of the park with a discussion of the forces of underground fires found in Yellowstone's volcanism. Librarians will want to purchase this well-written and more balanced volume rather than the more sensational Fire in Yellowstone (Gareth Stevens, 1990) by Ekey. --Susannah Price, Boise Public Library, ID (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Color photographs. Both of these colorful treatments of the dramatic 1988 events in Yellowstone National Park set the fires in a historical context as a natural occurrence in the extended life of forest areas. Patent's book is well-organized and more useful in its explanations and statements of specific facts, and includes an index; 'The Great Yellowstone Fire' is more appealing visually and conveys information in descriptive, vivid prose. From HORN BOOK 1990, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
While covering much the same ground as Ekey's Fire! and Patent's Yellowstone Fires, this of the recent books on the subject is the best in putting the 1988 fires into a historical perspective and in its arresting, crisply reproduced color photos (though Patent's book, p. 429/C-79, is a close second). The debate on whether or not to control natural fires is recapitulated intelligently; dramatic incidents as the fires threatened buildings, tourists, and wildlife are recounted without sensationalism; and the process of regeneration is movingly described. Well organized, gracefully written and beautifully produced. No index. Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
