Book of Disappearing Plants

Stepanka Sekaninova used to work as a TV reporter and in the production of children's programs. Now she is a writer and an editor-in-chief, living in the Czech Republic.Eliska Podesvova is an artist and tattooist who is also known by her artist nom de plume Jen Sen. She has been creating original tattoos for more than ten years, and her work also extends to illustration. In her other creative activities, she combines watercolor painting, drawing, embroidery, and occasionally digital graphics. Originally from Ostrava, where she studied drawing, she now works in Brno, Czech Republic.

"Gr 3-6–This new guidebook of disappearing plants explores a fascinating subject for aspiring botanists and other young readers interested in natural history. An introduction gives a brief overview of the book’s content and structure, noting that the plants included in this book are currently extinct in the wild but may still exist in cultivation. The following entries for individual plants are listed chronologically by date of extinction and include detailed, colorful illustrations, time period and native growth location, and historical context. The entries are thorough and feature information that will intrigue readers looking for scientific or historical information, with details ranging in age of extinction from 400 million years ago to plants last seen in the 20th century. The author makes it clear, in the introduction and in individual entries, the role humans have played in the extinction of some plants, whether by overconsumption, climate change, or other means, and encourages readers to be aware and take part in the protection of Earth’s plant life. While by no means an exhaustive list of extinct plants, this book is an engaging introduction to paleobotany that will lead to further interest and research for elementary readers, with the author providing a helpful list of books and websites to cultivate more exploration on this topic. VERDICT A first purchase in elementary and middle grade collections where books on botany are popular or needed." —Kasey Swords, School Library Journal"In a reminder that animals aren’t the only organisms with species on or past the brink of extinction, this Czech import highlights 30 rare and vanished flora.Sekaninová begins with Cooksonia, the first plant with a true stem, a common ancestor of mosses and vascular plants that went extinct over 400 million years ago. Most of her entries, though, are drawn from the more than 570 known species that have gone in the past 250 years—either completely, like the St. Helena olive, or from anywhere except a few botanical collections. Accompanied by maps showing last or only known sightings and carefully detailed painted images by Podešvová of full plants or fruits and leaves, Sekaninová’s descriptive notes include likely explanations of why each species vanished, which range from climate change and hungry imported goats to land clearance and unsustainable harvesting. Still, using the word disappearing rather than something more definite in the title betrays an underlying optimism here that gone doesn’t always mean forever, and Sekaninová does mention recent reclamation projects that have brought back the Judean date palm and the Franciscan manzanita. Light-skinned explorers and collectors, some of whom are women, put in frequent appearances in the illustrations. Distressing but quietly hopeful and illuminating." —Kirkus Reviews"This is a excellent book collecting extinct plants chronologically. The written text is clear and understandable. Every entry has an interesting information and offers a different presentation of the plant rather than dumping lots of information or having the same text. Enjoyable for a quick read. The artwork is hands down winner for me. " —Marianito Gonzales, Reviewer"I love plants and have been really into botany lately, so this was perfect.. Learning about different species and why they went extinct was so interesting. Especially because some of the losses happened not that long ago, which is insane. Also loved that it covers preservation efforts too." —Deja Moore, Librarian