Mountain Town, written by Bonnie Geisert and illustrated by her husband Arthur Geisert, is informative with a narrative that is descriptive, although also somewhat sparse and superficial. The real star of Mountain Town are Arthur Geisert's intricate and evocative illustrations (they show a richness of detail that is only hinted at by the narrative). The afterword does offer supplemental details, but personally, I would have preferred more textual information in the narrative itself. On the other hand, this book would likely work very well to stimulate free discussion and/or storytelling, as the elaborate, involved illustrations leave much scope for the imagination (as L.M. Montgomery's Anne Shirley would say). Recommended for children interested in the geography and settlement of the United States, and especially for those children who love to pore over and discuss detailed and intricate illustrations. ( )

Mountain Town is a lot like Bonnie and Arthur Geisert's book, "River Town". "Mountain Town" follows the year in the life of a rocky mountain town. The book starts with winter, and how the residents live along side the harshness of winter. The book then goes into spring and describes through illustrations and words how the townspeople enjoy the seasonal change into spring. Summer brought about rain and thunder while the fall brought the townspeople together as they support their local high school football teams. The book takes place in the second half of the nineteenth century. ( )