Looking for loons, written by Jennifer Lloyd, illustrated by Kirsti Anne Wakelin - review

Looking for loons, written by Jennifer Lloyd, illustrated by Kirsti Anne Wakelin - review
Everybody should have a house on a lake in Maine. Everybody should be able to wake up at dawn, snag the binoculars, snuggle up in an Adirondack chair on the deck and watch for loons. Everybody's Grandma should make them hot chocolate while they wait, and everyone's mom should bring out an old quilt in case they're chilly. Their dad should get up and make pancakes and bacon while Grandpa makes a fire in the stone fireplace.

Sigh.

This book is like Time of Wonder by Robert McCloskey. I always read that book with at least as much envy as admiration.

The illustrations here are magnificent. Watercolor and pencil on Arches paper, atmospheric and warm, packed with keenly-observed portraits of wildlife. If I ever had a vacation on a lake with the family, I'd get Kirsti Anne Wakelin to draw it. Since I'm not likely to, I'll get this book.

Endpaper bonus: pencil sketches of wildlife.
Minor quibble: the painting on the cover is very low-contrast and kind of busy. I don't think it serves this beautiful book very well.