Welcome to the river of grass

the long version

In the Everglades, what may look like a smooth, silent carpet of flowing grass is a world teeming with life. Amid tree islands and mangrove roots are animals on the prowl. A tuft-eared bobcat gives an eerie yoooooowl, a raccoon carefully washes his food, an osprey guts a fish, and an alligator waits with shroudlike eyes for a redbelly turtle to swim too close. From creatures that fly to those that crawl, here is the cycle of life in the Everglades, presented in lilting, poetic words and lush, dramatic images.