Prairie Dog Song

Review
By School Library Journal

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.