LUCK

Every year as many as half-a-million Sand Hill cranes make a famous migration north from Texas, along the Platte River to Canada, Alaska, and destinations as far away as Siberia. Wendell Minor's well-modulated narration gives a fictionalized account of that spectacular event through the experience of a crane named Luck. Music accompanies the entire story, and sound effects bring the story to life: the unusual crane voices, wings flapping, and noises of whatever is happening below the birds in flight. The slow pace seems designed for the young listener to enjoy Minor's double-page illustrations in the accompanying book. These splendid pictures let the listener see the world of this perilous journey from the bird's-eye view. R.H.H. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2008]