Book review: Swampwalker's Journal (Carroll)

[Nathan]

Book Review: Swampwalker’s Journal- A Wetlands Year written and illustrated by David M. Carroll

(Copyright 1999 by David M. Carroll, 292 pages)

Swampwalker's Journal was awarded "The John Burroughs Medal"

This is my first book review, so I tried to make my format similar to the others, sorry if it isn’t perfect. Now on to the review!

I’ll start by providing the summary on the back of the book, as it is a fairly good representation- “ David Carroll has dedicated his life to art and to wetlands. He is as passionate about swamps, bogs, and vernal ponds and the creatures who live in them as most of us are about our families and closest friends. He knows frogs and snakes, muskrats and minks, dragonflies, water lilies, cattails, sedges-everything that swims, flies, trudges, slithers, or sinks it’s roots in wet places. In this “intimate and wise book” (Sue Hubbell), Carroll takes us on a lively, unforgettable yearlong journey, illustrated with his own elegant drawings, through the wetlands and reveals why they are so important to his life and ours-and to all life on Earth.”

And I must say, Carroll’s drawings are rather elegant. Many of them give beautiful depictions of amphibians (mostly related to vernal pools) including, four-toed salamanders (Hemidactylum scutatum), Spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum), Blue spotted salamanders (Ambystoma laterale), Marbled salamanders (Ambystoma opacum), Eastern newts (Notophthalmus v. viridescens), and American toads (Bufo a. americanus), to name a few. Many species of mammals, birds, reptiles, and plants are also shown- all in various behavioral situations.

The book is interesting as David Carroll’s writing is easy to read and takes you through each season in wet places (each with his own imaginative nick-name). I was also very impressed as, the back of the book has a section which lists the common and scientific names of every species mentioned or illustrated within the book. Each illustration also lists the common and scientific name as a caption.

I have had the book for years, and must say that it is one of my personal favorites. I especially recommend this book to field herpers, as I think that it gives a fair description of what field herping can be like. It makes a great summer read and can be stored in the car or a backpack for any salamander field trip or can be read on a lazy summer day at home. The book isn’t so scientific that it can become boring, but is scientific enough to retain some interest from those who enjoy scientific material. It is more a story than a scientific journal, though.

I am sure that the book can be found on Amazon, and so I’ll list the ISBN numbers for those who are interested-

ISBN 0-395-64725-8
ISBN 0-618-12737-2 (pbk.)

Thanks to all for reading the review, enjoy the summer!