Review by Booklist Review
The team behind Parrots over Puerto Rico (2013) has returned with a conservation tale about the prairie dogs of North America. Two narratives tell the story. One, a song to the tune of And the Green Grass Grows All Around, sets the scene: prairie dogs, burrowing owls, black-footed ferrets, bison, and nineteenth-century farmers. It also emphasizes the cumulative dependency of each piece of the ecosystem. The second describes the history of the North American grasslands: the balance of the wildlife, eventual decimation due to aggressive farming practices and culling of prairie dogs, and the steps that were taken since the 1990s to rebuild the ecosystem in Janos, Mexico. The mixed-media collages are in a palette of grassland browns and sunset oranges, expansively spread across the pages. The supplemental materials, which include music for the song, prairie dog facts, a time line, and an extensive list of sources, are illustrated with color photos. A combination of simple verse and detailed context makes this well suited for children of various reading levels.--Dean, Kara Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Roth and Trumbore, the team behind Parrots Over Puerto Rico and The Mangrove Tree, adapt the song "And the Green Grass Grew All Around" in an inspiring environmental comeback story. Early spreads introduce the prairie dogs, owls, bison, and eagles that made their home in the prairies of northern Mexico, until ranchers and farmers turned the grasslands to desert ("And over time/ Mesquite moved in,/ With the longest roots/ That you ever did see"). As locals attempt to restore the grasslands, supplemental paragraphs offer extensive information about the process and animals (as does a substantial afterword). Roth's meticulously crafted collages create sweeping, gorgeously detailed panoramas of a delicate landscape in flux. Ages 6-11. (May) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-The North American prairie, a balanced ecosystem of prairie dogs and other animals and plants, thrived for thousands of years. Yet within 60 years of the arrival of farmers and ranchers, it was almost destroyed. The discovery of a remnant prairie in the late 1980s enabled the reintroduction of the black-tailed prairie dog and created an environmental recovery celebrated here in verses sung to the tune of "The Green Grass Grew All Around." The song is printed in black above informative paragraphs in a smaller orange font that almost fades into the background. Beautiful double-page collages illustrate the prairie dogs, their predators, and the species that benefit from their burrows. These detailed visuals invite readers to linger over the pages and search through myriad multicolored blades of prairie grass. Color photographs accompany a one-page list of facts, a multiple-page time line, an extensive glossary and pronunciation guide, and a list of the authors' sources. VERDICT This heartening success story is entertaining to sing along to and a valuable, beautiful resource.-Frances E. Millhouser, formerly with Fairfax County Public Library, VA © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Roth and Trumbore take off from the cumulative folk song The Green Grass Grew All Around to detail the plight of the prairie dog. Prairie dogs were once abundant, but their numbers have been greatly reduced by farming and development. In Janos, Mexico, an area largely untouched by modern farming techniques, scientists and conservationists document the importance of the black-tailed prairie dog and work to restore other grassland species (ferrets and bison). Roths mixed-media illustrations are painstakingly precise in detail and bursting with rich and varied colors. The waving seas of native grasses in the vast open spaces -- each tiny individual blade perfectly placed -- the changeable hues of the open skies, and the fuzzy textures of each animals fur or their fluffy feathers are awe inspiring. The writing is equally impressive. Two independently strong texts -- one in the form of a modified song lyric (And down those holes / Lived prairie dogs, / With the friskiest pups / That you ever did see; musical score appended) the other an in-depth nonfiction account -- are filled with scientific details on the biology and ecology of the grassland environments. Together they encourage multiple readings and viewings, allowing readers to find new details and to develop a strong appreciation for conservation and the natural world. Extensive notes and resources, including photographs of the animals, people, and places mentioned in the book, are included. danielle j. ford (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Following their Sibert Award-winning Parrots Over Puerto Rico, Roth and Trumbore turn to prairie dogs. Each double-page spread includes a collage, a verse from a cumulative song based on "And the Green Grass Grew All Around," and text detailing the evolving history and ecological significance of prairie dogs in North America. The clever layout makes this a book that can grow with its readers. For little ones, the large-print words of the song can be used along with the amazing artwork; older readers can move on to the highly informative, engaging narrative. The song teaches succinctly about the biodiversity of the prairie habitat before farmers and ranchers, the near-extinction of the entire habitat, and the return to biodiversity once the importance of the prairie dogs was recognized. In flowing, conversational language, the text for older readers includes such subjects as 19th-century, government-sanctioned prairie dog poisoning and how, in 1988, the prairie dog was finally recognized as a keystone speciesone on which an entire ecosystem depends. The ongoing tale is uplifting, as individual people, organizations, and, finally, the government of Mexico have helped to bring back both the prairie dog and the prairie. Although the song's scansion is rough at times"owls bur-rowed" could have been "owls bur-rowed in"adult readers can compensate for this, and the entire book is a worthy work of science-and-arts integration. An inspiration. (additional facts, timeline, glossary, sources) (Informational picture book. 5-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
