Tooth and Claw: Animal Adventures in the Wild

Ted Lewin grew up in an old frame house in Buffalo, New York, with two brothers, one sister, two parents, a lion, an iguana, a chimpanzee, and an assortment of more conventional pets. The lion was given to his older brother, Don, while he was traveling as a professional wrestler, and he shipped it home. The family kept Sheba in the basement fruit cellar until Don returned and their mother convinced him to give it to the Buffalo zoo.

Ted always knew he wanted to be an illustrator. As a child he copied the work of illustrators and painters he admired, including N. C. Wyeth, Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, Velázquez, andGoya. When it came time to go to art school (Pratt), he needed to earn money to finance his education. So, following in his brother’s footsteps, he took a summer job as a wrestler -- the beginning of a 15-year part-time career that eventually inspired his autobiographical book I Was a Teenage Professional Wrestler.Ted’s career as an artist began with illustrations for adventure magazines, and it’s only over the last several years that he has devoted his time to writing and illustrating children’s books. "I’m having more fun doing this than anything I’ve ever done before," he says. He is an avid traveler, and many of his books are inspired by trips to such places as the Amazon River, the Sahara Desert, Botswana, Egypt, Lapland, and India. His Market!, published in 1996, showcases markets around the world, from Uganda to Ireland to Ecuador.

Touch and Go is a collection of stories about the adventures Ted had while researching his books. Gorilla Walk is his first collaboration with his wife, Betsy, and is about their trek to see the mountain gorillas in Uganda. They’ve just completed their second collaboration, Elephant Quest, set in the Okavango Delta of Botswana. Ted’s current project is about a Civil War drummer boy.

Ted and Betsy live in Brooklyn, New York, where they share their home with two cats, Slick and Chopper.

Gr. 3-6. In this unusual book, Lewin relates 14 personal encounters with animals in the wild. Each chapter begins with a map indicating the locale, from faraway destinations in Brazil, Uganda, and India to Harriman State Park in New York, the Okeefenokee Swamp in Georgia, and Churchill, Manitoba. Most of the text is devoted to Lewin's experiences, but each story is followed by an author's note of a page or two on the animal and the locale. Although the pattern of the tales is similar, the book will continue to engage readers because the tone varies from one account to the next. Many of the writer's experiences, such as those with bears, snakes, and sharks, are alarming. His observations of the red howler monkey and dung beetle are intriguing, while Lewin's encounter with a trio of fearless raccoons is amusing (for the reader, at least). Appearing on nearly every page, the illustrations include maps, photos, drawings, and paintings. With its narrative appeal, this would be a good choice to recommend for those nonfiction "genre" book reports, particularly for children who usually choose adventure or animal fiction. Teachers will find plenty of read-aloud potential. Final illustrations not seen. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved