I'm a huge fan of Phyllis Root and also a nature-loving mama who loves prairie wildlife, so this book was wonderful for me in so many ways. Lovely watercolor illustrations accompany simple text that tells the reader what flowers to plant to bring different birds like ruby-throated hummingbirds and insects like monarch butterflies, along with explaining about prairie histories and why they matter. The end of the book lists lots of plants to plant in your own small prairie (even a window box) and more information.

Sample text:

Your pocket prairie might be full
of blooming and buzzing and fluttering.
But don't stop now --

Plant purple coneflowers and Joe Pye weed
and wait for Dakota skippers and swallowtails
to flit and feed.

While you are waiting...

Each spread shows accurate but lovely illustrations of the flowers and the species that might visit them, ending with a sweet, comical illustration of who might visit your prairie by the end if it gets big enough (a bison mama and calf in the grass). Several pages follow of flowers and grasses to plant, where to find prairies to visit, and more.

This is one of my favorite non-fiction books ever. It has a simple concept with beautifully integrated pictures. The facts are well-written and flow so well. I even took this one home for my husband to read. This book inspires me.