Yellowstone Moran: Painting the American West

In 1871, American artist Thomas Moran journeyed with a team of geologists through the Rocky Mountains to “the land called the Yellowstone,” observing and sketching the landscape around him. Judge’s watercolor illustrations capture the movement and pristine energy of the wilderness along with the team’s arduous journey over rocks, ravines and woods (“Tom learned to ride quickly. But by noon he was so sore from bouncing on the hard saddle, he had to put a pillow under him”). Moran’s “The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone” appears on the final pages of the book—a light-infused synthesis of the magnificent sights seen throughout. Ages 6–8. (Sept.)