The Christmas Loon

A six-year-old girl and her father explore their Minnesota lake by canoe one summer, observing in particular a family of loons--parents and two newly hatched chicks. As fall and then winter come on, Jenny is troubled about the uncertain fate of the smaller chick, but during a Christmas visit to Chincoteague Island she is reassured to see other young loons that have migrated successfully. A stilted narrative, wooden dialogue and uneven photographs--the color photos include a few striking vistas but also many static shots, and the black-and-white portraits of the author's family, models for the characters here, are lackluster--push this well-intentioned but flaccid account wide of its intended mark. Ages 6-8. (Nov.)