Veteran B.C. authors Ann Walsh and Kathleen Cook Waldron, both long-time residents of lumber-based communities, present an alphabetical collection of forestry facts providing insight into this vital industry. Every letter is given a full page, with two or three photographs attractively arranged beside the text. Each page features an alliterative subheading (for example, “Carrying cork boots, the crew crowds around the crummy”) that’s then explained in detail in the accompanying text. At the end is an alphabet of “Fast Forestry Facts” – extra information bites only one sentence long.

The authors’ choices of little-known and diverse facts keep readers interested, and the amount of information is appropriate for the targeted age range. There are the expected entries for erosion and fire, but we also learn how plywood is made, the shift times of millwrights, and how both horses and helicopters serve forestry. The authors show how the forestry industry affects many others, such as recreation and carpentry, and how forests figure prominently in the artistic heritage of First Nations people. There’s no mention of clear-cutting, industry-related pollution, or the political complexities of logging, but still, as an introductory resource, this title serves primary students well.   

Bob Warick spent a year taking photos of B.C. forests for this book, and the results are wonderful. We see pristine landscapes juxtaposed with huge equipment crunching through the forest and many people hard at work in all facets of the industry. A nice touch is the addition of leaves or sprigs of pine delicately arranged on top of the photos, creating eye-catching depth and detail. I especially liked the inclusion of historical photos showing the physical hardships of the lumbering life as well as how things have changed over time. I wish captions had been included for each photo: as a B.C. native, I found myself wanting to know exactly where and when each was taken.

As a whole, Forestry A-Z is a worthwhile addition to school and public library non-fiction collections.