"We drove for a hundred hours past a lake called Superior. It was as big as the ocean." Sadie is bold in her description of the view outside her car window, but as her family sets off on a wilderness adventure, she's not entirely sure she's ready to spend some quality time in the woods. Aren't there bears? And alligators? What if it starts to rain? Sadie's younger brother, Benjamin, doesn't always know to be afraid, but big sister keeps an eye out for him and enumerates his concerns—which are really her own. The north woods comes alive in her imagination as she battles "monster boulders" and "growling waterfalls" and "flying dinosaurs." Sadie's spunky approach turns away these fierce foes as she and her family swim in quiet pools, hike twisting forest trails, and launch their canoe on a skinny lake. On the last day, a storm blows in, and Sadie is brave for Benjamin as the wind whips branches and rain beats on the lake—and her own fear disappears. In the end, there are a hundred new little rivers to play in. And Sadie just may be a convert to the appeal of exploring the wilderness. PreS-Gr 2—Young Sadie somewhat uneasily describes her family's trip to Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Superior National Forest and their four-day adventure there. After what she declares to be "a hundred hours" of driving past Lake Superior, then a hundred more continuing "deeper and deeper into the woods," Sadie proclaims that her younger brother, Benjamin, is "very scared of the wilderness." They all swim under a roaring waterfall, hike "a dark and twisting forest trail," paddle their canoe on a lake past "a flying dinosaur" (a great blue heron), and are "trapped in [their] tent by a huge storm." Through it all, Sadie encourages Benjamin by warning invisible bears to stay away and holding his hand and expressing her own fears. Large, realistic two-page watercolor scenes show trees, huge rocks, a cascading waterfall, and some indigenous birds and animals (moose, bullfrog, pileated woodpecker). Scattered throughout the pages are some small "photos" taken during the trip. VERDICT This brief introduction to a national park noted for its 1,200 miles of canoe routes and for offering serenity also demonstrates how easily a child's fears of the unknown can be assuaged. Best shared one-on-one to give kids plenty of time to pore over the illustrations.—Susan Scheps, formerly at Shaker Public Library, OH Yvonne Pearson is the author of six nonfiction books for grades two to seven and the recipient of a Minnesota State Arts Board Grant. Karen Ritz has illustrated picture books and chapter books on the subjects of animals, families, and dramatic events in history. Her work has earned accolades from the National Council for the Social Studies, the Junior Library Guild, the Society of Illustrators, and the Minnesota Book Awards. She lives in St. Paul.