Plant a Pocket of Prairie

2014
Author:

Phyllis Root
Illustrations by Betsy Bowen

An inspiring children’s book about the endangered prairie ecosystem and how we can help restore it

Phyllis Root and Betsy Bowen take young readers on a trip to one of Minnesota’s important ecosystems—the prairie—teaching children how changes in one part of the system affect every other part. The book shows what happens when we work to restore the prairies, encouraging readers to “plant a pocket of prairie” in their own backyards.

In lilting, free-verse passages, [Root] lets kids know that even small plots of native plants can replicate prairie conditions. Bowen’s woodblock illustrations lend the right low-tech, homemade feel to the pages.

Publishers Weekly

Author Phyllis Root and illustrator Betsy Bowen last explored the vast, boggy peatlands of northern Minnesota in their book Big Belching Bog. Now, in Plant a Pocket of Prairie, Root and Bowen take young readers on a trip to another of Minnesota’s important ecosystems: the prairie.

Once covering almost forty percent of the United States, native prairie is today one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. Plant a Pocket of Prairie teaches children how changes in one part of the system affect every other part: when prairie plants are destroyed, the animals who eat those plants and live on or around them are harmed as well. Root shows what happens when we work to restore the prairies, encouraging readers to “plant a pocket of prairie” in their own backyards.

By growing native prairie plants, children can help re-create food and habitat for the many birds, butterflies, and other animals that depend on them. “Plant cup plants,” Root suggests. “A thirsty chickadee might come to drink from a tiny leaf pool. Plant goldenrod. A Great Plains toad might flick its tongue at goldenrod soldier beetles.” An easy explanation of the history of the prairie, its endangered status, and how to go about growing prairie plants follows, as well as brief descriptions of all the plants and animals mentioned in the story.

With Betsy Bowen’s beautiful, airy illustrations capturing the feel of an open prairie and all its inhabitants, readers of all ages will be inspired to start planting seeds and watching for the many fascinating animals their plants attract. What a marvelous transformation could take place if we all planted a pocket of prairie!

Awards

Winner of the 2015 John Burroughs Riverby Award given for outstanding nature books for young readers.

Phyllis Root is the author of more than forty books for children, including Ten Sleepy Sheep, One Duck Stuck, and Big Momma Makes the World, which won the Boston Globe Horn Book Award. She is also the author of Big Belching Bog (Minnesota, 2010), illustrated by Betsy Bowen. She lives in Minneapolis.

Betsy Bowen is the author and/or illustrator of numerous children’s books, including Great Wolf and the Good Woodsman (Minnesota, 2005); Antler, Bear, Canoe: A Northwoods Alphabet Year; and Big Belching Bog (Minnesota, 2010). She lives in Grand Marais, Minnesota.

In lilting, free-verse passages, [Root] lets kids know that even small plots of native plants can replicate prairie conditions. Bowen’s woodblock illustrations lend the right low-tech, homemade feel to the pages.

Publishers Weekly

Could well inspire a new generation of conservationists.

Kirkus Reviews

Although the description here is of the inhabitants of a Midwestern prairie, the conservation and restoration message is universal.

Horn Book Magazine

Plant a Pocket of Prairie is one of the spring season’s most beautiful and useful books.

Pioneer Press

Even if you don’t garden, you’ll love using these pages to identify the many native plants and animals found in Minnesota.

Minnesota Parent

Whimsical, educational and inspiring.

Northern Wilds

Phyllis Root’s latest children’s book is a homegrown call to action.

The Forum

This is a lyrical, thoughtful and inspiring book about all that a prairie offers.

Readerkidz

Phyllis Root’s simple text and Betsy Bowen’s stunning illustrations clearly make the case for how valuable prairies are and the interconnectedness of life there. The genius of the book is that it shows us how to make a difference.

Star Tribune

This exploration and imaginative re-creation of the prairie habitat that once covered almost 40 percent of the United States is much more than a mere gardening book. [It is] a beautiful and informative offering that will be snapped up from any display.

School Library Journal

Plant a Pocket of Prairie is an excellent book to showcase the need to take care of our ecosystems and to excite students about planting native plants to creative little pieces of what once was a vast area of wildlife.

NC Teacher Stuff

Betsy Bowen’s woodblock print illustrations are a lovely accompaniment to Root’s text. They capture the open, airy look of the prairies beautifully.

Wrapped in Foil

Through sparse, flowing text that connects each page to the next and large, beautiful pictures, Root and Bowen succeed in capturing prairie life and conveying to readers the importance of not only cherishing it but helping it continue on.

Frog on a Blog

The woodblock illustrations are beautiful, giving a back-to-nature sort of unspoiled feel as if we were in a meadow.

Saffron Tree

This is a gorgeous book. Every elementary school needs a copy of this bright and colorful work of art.

Peaceful Reader

Plant a Pocket of Prairie makes a perfect introduction to another regional landscape.

Lake Superior Magazine

Betsy Bowen’s illustrations are so airy that they capture the feeling of prairie. And there is plenty of back matter! There’s more about each plant and animal featured in the book – plus directions for planting a pocket garden of prairie plants. For explorers, there’s a list of places where you can find bits of preserved and/or restored prairie.

Archimedes Notebook