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Picture Book Review: 'Over In The Wetlands' By Caroline Starr Rose

Over in the Wetlands: A Hurricane-on-the-Bayou Story

by Caroline Starr Rose &Rob Dunlavey

Schwartz & Wade Books, 2015

“Over in the wetlands

where the silky mist weaves,

Dragonfly lights on a slender reed.

Bending toward the bayou,

she dips one wing,

rippling the water as it creeps downstream.

Gentle as a whisper too soft to hear,

a faint breeze hints that a storm draws near.”

So begins this dark and delightful tale of a hurricane on the bayou. Caroline Starr Rose expertly balances the rhymes in the story with the rhythm of the storm as it approaches, drenches, and recedes.

The text and illustrations (by Rob Dunlavey) portray the Louisiana ecosystem: cypress and moss wetlands populated with pelicans, spoonbills, egrets and alligators. The animals and insects take shelter as the storm approaches and the illustrations transform from an already dense and swamp-like green-grey to downright dark as the hurricane hits.

Three two-page spreads feature nearly black images of the water churning, rain falling, and wind blowing as only the animals' eyes shine dimly through the squall. And the text becomes harsh and staccato like the rain:

“Pounding,

wailing,

hours endless.

Blasting,

breaking,

storm's relentless.”

As the hurricane passes, the language softens and the light returns, at first grey, and then tinged with coral, orange and red as the animals emerge and the sun begins to set, ultimately resting in the safety of a deep blue night.

Starr Rose and Dunlavey are both listed in the byline on this book's jacket cover. And while the copyright page clarifies that Starr Rose wrote the text and Dunlavey created the illustrations and cover art, the text and images work together so seamlessly in this book that you can almost hear the storm approaching and smell the salt of the bayou as you are swept up in the sights and the sounds of the storm. Rarely have I seen a picture book that so eloquently captures the spirit of a dramatic event in a particular place.

An Author's Note at the end of the book provides factual information about the Mississippi River Delta and the animals that call its coastal wetlands home.

Caroline Starr Rose spent her childhood in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and New Mexico, camping by the Red Sea in one and eating red chile in the other. She has taught social studies and English, and worked to instill in her students a passion for books, an enthusiasm for experimenting with words, and curiosity about the past. She lives in New Mexico. Visit her at carolinestarrose.com

Rob Dunlavey's illustrations have been featured in the New York Times, the Boston Globe, and Business Week, among many other publications. Rob has made murals for children's museums in Miami, Florida, and Bridgehampton, NY. He lives in suburban Boston with his wife, two daughters, two insane cats, and a tropical fish named Bruce. Learn more at robd.com

Renée Vaillancourt McGrath
Renée Vaillancourt McGrath

Renee Vaillancourt McGrath has worked as a writer, editor, librarian, and public radio program host. She lives in Stevensville, Montana, with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs. 

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