Plains

Children's Literature - Suzanna E. Henshon

What are the plains? What do the plains look like? What is it like to live in the plains? Plains are a kind of land form. There are different kinds of plains, but generally they are pieces of flat land. Plains can be near the ocean or in the desert. Plains range from a grassland to low hills to savannas filled with lions. People grow crops in the plains, and they live and play in the plains. There are many things to do on the plains—adventures that children can partake in. The Great Plains is an area in North America that runs North of Texas to the bottom central part of Canada. Most of the Great Plains is suitable to be farmland. Bisons, prairie dogs, deer, and birds live in the plains. At the end of the book, there is a glossary with definitions of terms used throughout Plains. Sheila Anderson's simple text brings the experience of The Great American Plains to elementary school children who are just beginning to explore their world. Plains is a delightful read for young explorers who seek knowledge and understanding of the world around them, and appropriate for home and school libraries. The wonderful photographs take children on a visual journey through plains around the world. Reviewer: Suzanna E. Henshon, Ph.D.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 1- These small books give new meaning to "short and simple." Each page has a color photograph that illustrates the text-a sentence composed of a handful of words. One of the longer ones is, "A mountain is land that rises toward the sky." A few words are in bold and defined in a glossary. The books end with a full page of descriptive text highlighting a concept related to the landform, such as "Volcanic Islands." Two pages of facts offer a little more detail. The material is clear and the format appealing, but there isn't much information here.-Susan Lissim, Dwight School, New York City