Trails above the Tree Line: A Story of a Rocky Mountain Meadow Book

In a meadow high in the Rocky Mountains, a bighorn sheep raises her lamb.

Susan Hepler - Children's Literature

As in other books in the "Soundprint" animal series, this book details the life of a baby animal, in this case the bighorn sheep, in its natural habitat. The lamb shares the meadow with rosy finches and pipits, a predator golden eagle, and a group of other ewes and lambs. There they play on the rocks, drink mothers' milk, and learn to listen to marmot whistles as warnings. On one of their forays to a salt lick, another predator, a mountain lion, is sighted but not close enough to do any damage. They witness two rams battling, journey to the south face of the mountain as fall and then winter comes, and play and eat until spring comes again. The book's title really should be "Bighorn Sheep in a Rocky Mountain Meadow," as its strongest purpose is to inform readers of the first year's life, habits, and encounters of a young bighorn lamb. The illustrations provide more information on the setting and are detailed watercolors of the flora and fauna, and a two-page fold-out at the book's end identifies each in a panoramic look at the meadow. A short informational page about the Rocky Mountains and a map are also included in this readable and informative nature study. 2002, Soundprints,