Product Description

‘An intrepid explorer, young Rebecca ventures into the forest in search of an ovenbird, a warbler reputed to be the wizard of the woods. Readers follow Rebecca’s progress through the day discovering the secrets of the spring foliage and learning much about the temperate forest and its inhabitants.’ —BL.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #234902 in Books
• Published on: 1995-09-30
• Released on: 1995-09-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 64 pages

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-5 As in other titles in this series, George constructs a story featuring a particular child who spends a day alone in a natural habitat. Rebecca has determined that she will find an ovenbird in Teatown Woods in the Hudson Highlands of New York. The story is a vehicle for introducing the wildlife inhabiting the five layers of plant life in the woodlandsthe canopy, shrub, field, litter, and soil. Rebecca's encounters with various animals are gentle and respectful. One mishap occurs when Rebecca's forgotten magnifying glass catches the sun and starts a small fire; no drama ensues, for this is a sensible child who knows just what to do, supplying a small lesson in outdoor safety. The day climaxes at sunset with the appearance of the ovenbird and a concert of amazingly varied sound. Pleasing pencil drawings depict the animals in varied degrees of realism and follow some of Rebecca's activities. The repeated reference to animals as "wizards of the woods" adds a precious note to the quiet tale, and the slim book with its spacious format has a "young" look which belies the more difficult reading level of the text. This approach to natural history appeals to certain readers, and the volumes offer creative teaching possibilities. Margaret Bush, Simmons College, Boston
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Card catalog description
Rebecca discovers many things about plant and animal life when she spends the day in Teatown Woods in the Hudson Highlands of New York looking for the ovenbird.

About the Author

Jean Craighead George is the author of over eighty books for children and young adults. Her novel Julie of the Wolves won the Newbery Medal in 1973, and her novel My Side of the Mountain was a Newbery Honor Book in 1960. She has continued to write acclaimed picture books and novels that celebrate the natural world. She lives in Chappaqua, New York, and has had over 173 pets in the time she has lived there, among them geese and ducks.

Customer Reviews

One Day in the Woods
If you like danger and adventure you should read this book. It is about a girl who goes into the woods to find a bird that is suppose to possess mysterious powers. Some other books written by Jean Craig head George are- one day on the Alpine Tundra and- Julie of the Wolves

One Day in the Woods Book Review
One Day in the Woods and One Day in the Tropical Rain Forest are both books by Jean Craighead George. They are both about kids who are looking for something . They both take place out in the wilderness. If you need some interesting facts about animals, this is the book for you. One Day in the Tropical Rain Forest is about a boy and a doctor looking for an unnamed butterfly so they can save the rain forest from 11 bulldozers and 4 trucks, will they do it in time? One Day in the Woods is about a girl trying to find a wizard in the Teatown Woods. Will she do it? I hope you enjoy these two books.

Come spend ONE DAY IN THE WOODS
Jean Craighead George, author of nearly one hundred novels, picture books, novellas, guides, and stories about nature, presents a story of the perfect length about our most familiar ecosystem, the woods. Ms. George does a terrific job of placing readers in the feet of her main character, a young girl named Rebecca (Ms. George's granddaughter and perhaps the same Rebecca from her picture book DEAR REBECCA, WINTER IS HERE). One beautiful spring morning, Rebecca takes a trip out to the woods near her home to search for a rare and remarkable bird, the ovenbird, which her uncle tells her is a real natural wizard. While Rebecca searches for this wonder of the woods, she finds lots of other incredible creatures--owls, flying squirrels, deer, ducks, and a skunk--and even runs into danger and excitement. Fine descriptions, fondly and accurately written, make birds a lot of us see every day--towhees, robins, and cardinals--all the more special and important, as Ms. George's admiration for even the smallest things in nature is evident. And when Rebecca finds the ovenbird wizard, it really is an eye-opener. The illustrations are woodsy and a nice companion to Ms. George's words. This is a great story for anyone who loves nature and the special words of the author of JULIE OF THE WOLVES and MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN.