Prairie Dog Song

Prairie Dog Song

Picture book
There are times when the visual aspect of a picture book grabs
me. I can spend scads of time gazing on the pictures. If I'm lucky
the narrative will also be unforgettable. This is truly the case with
Susan Roth and Cindy Trumbore's Prairie Dog Song.
The song is one of natural beauty, its devastation, and a
gradual redemption and restoration. The first part describes a
vibrant ecosystem in which prarie dogs dig burrows that are also
inhabited by owls, bison graze, and golden eagles soar. Then ranchers
and farmers mess things up...all but one place. Fortunately
scientists became aware of this place and stepped in to restore it to
its original glory.
Each page carries text on two levels. There are of, course, the
verses to the song. Below in gold you will find natural and historic
information for older readers. At the end there are several pages of
background.
But the collages steal the show. They are done in exquisite
detail. Roth guesses she cut about fifty billion blades of grass.
Probably pretty close. The bison look shaggy. The sky is shown in
many conditions from blue with puffy clouds to moonlit night. The
gold eyed feathery owls are my favorites.
What more can you ask for?
On a personal note, I had a wonderful weekend. I took the bus to
Portland. I spent the night with Katie, Jacob, and creamsicle cat
Archie. The next day Katie and Jacob took me to Santa's Village and
we did it up right. One of my very favorite places with two of the
most precious people in my life. Who could ask for more?
A great big shout out goes out to Katie, Jacob, and good cat Archie
who loves to play with yarn.
jules hathaway



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