School Library Journal Starred Review (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

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

ALA Booklist (Mon Feb 01 00:00:00 CST 2016)

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.

Horn Book

The authors detail the plight of the prairie dog, whose numbers have been greatly reduced by farming and development. Two independently strong texts--one a modified song lyric, the other in-depth nonfiction--provide details on the biology and ecology of grassland environments. Roth's painstakingly precise mixed-media illustrations are bursting with rich, varied colors. Extensive notes include resources and photographs. Glos.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

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)