Overview
Jo Bannatyne-Cugnet presents a sampler of the Prairies: the patterns of the land and its colors, embroidered with details of life and history, which make up the place she calls home. She describes weather so wild that you can sometimes make a snowman in the summer; the prairie love of the one-ton grain truck; the crafts and games unique to those living on the Prairies. There is even a recipe for Saskatoon pie! Heartland is a bright and bold tribute to the author’s “big sky” home, and is filled with artwork as beautiful as the Prairies themselves.From the Hardcover edition.
Synopsis
Jo Bannatyne-Cugnet presents a sampler of the Prairies: the patterns of the land and its colors, embroidered with details of life and history, which make up the place she calls home. She describes weather so wild that you can sometimes make a snowman in the summer; the prairie love of the one-ton grain truck; the crafts and games unique to those living on the Prairies. There is even a recipe for Saskatoon pie! Heartland is a bright and bold tribute to the author’s “big sky” home, and is filled with artwork as beautiful as the Prairies themselves.
From the Hardcover edition.
Jackie Hechtkopf - Children's Literature
The Prairies stretch across the heartland of North America, from Texas in the United States to Alberta in Canada. These flat, rolling grasslands are home to the author and illustrator of this loving tribute to prairie life and of a previous book entitled A Prairie Alphabet. Illustrated with stunning paintings as vivid and affectionate as Norman Rockwell's depiction of small-town American life, this book is a visual feast complemented by an informative text. Topics covered include the land, climate, people, wildlife, agriculture, and crafts. Every section begins with a historical perspective that progresses to modern times. The narrative is written in an affectionately plural first person point of view. Such statements as "we savor the changing seasons, and we accept that weather runs our lives" draw the reader into the culture of the "prairie people" described throughout the book. American readers may not realize that this book's primary focus is the Canadian prairie, until they see the recipe for Saskatoon pie in the food section or read about the author on the jacket cover. However, the overall explanation of prairie climate and topography applies to both countries. Readers will learn a lot from this attractive picture book. 2002, Tundra Books, Ages 8 to 12.
Editorials
From the Publisher
“This stunning picture book looks at various aspects of the prairies that stretch across North America…The vividly detailed paintings…add immediacy and a touch of poetry to the book… This lovely title brings the prairies to life for students across North America.”–School Library Journal
“Each subject is closely observed and painted with great attention to details, often with a hyperrealistic effect, as if each subject were bathed in bright, white light and seen with the clarity of a new pair of glasses…Though the writer and illustrator…hail from Saskatchewan…both the text and the artwork will resonate with American midwesterners as well as Canadians.”
–Booklist
“[An] exceptional book…It’s a work of art that tells a story.”
–The Globe and Mail
“This is a gorgeous book that provides a fascinating and well-written account of life on the central plains of Canada…The paintings by Yvette Moore are numerous and wonderfully detailed…”
–Lorgnette
“What a wonderful celebration of life on the prairie! The author presents historical facts and information from nature, and then personalizes this with observations and anecdotes from her own life. The colorful, detailed illustrations are spread throughout the book and give the reader a glimpse of how life on the prairie looks. This is a book to be savored.”
–Joyce O’Donnell, Iowa State University
“Jo Bannatyne-Cugnet and Yvette Moore have once again collaborated on another beautiful tribute to the prairies…Children, as well as adults and seniors, will enjoy the fidelity of the paintings as they so accurately and artistically portray the prairie world. Both the paintings and content combine to give us warm and intimate glimpses of life in this celebration of prairie people and places.”
–CM Magazine
“More than just an attractive gift book, this information–packed homage to the Prairies will appeal to school and public libraries wanting to beef up their collections about our continent’s heartland.”
–Quill & Quire
From the Hardcover edition.
Children's Literature
The Prairies stretch across the heartland of North America, from Texas in the United States to Alberta in Canada. These flat, rolling grasslands are home to the author and illustrator of this loving tribute to prairie life and of a previous book entitled A Prairie Alphabet. Illustrated with stunning paintings as vivid and affectionate as Norman Rockwell's depiction of small-town American life, this book is a visual feast complemented by an informative text. Topics covered include the land, climate, people, wildlife, agriculture, and crafts. Every section begins with a historical perspective that progresses to modern times. The narrative is written in an affectionately plural first person point of view. Such statements as "we savor the changing seasons, and we accept that weather runs our lives" draw the reader into the culture of the "prairie people" described throughout the book. American readers may not realize that this book's primary focus is the Canadian prairie, until they see the recipe for Saskatoon pie in the food section or read about the author on the jacket cover. However, the overall explanation of prairie climate and topography applies to both countries. Readers will learn a lot from this attractive picture book. 2002, Tundra Books, Ages 8 to 12.— Jackie Hechtkopf