Phyllis Root – författare

Five toads hop, four brook trout swim, three elk graze, two loons call, and one beaver gnaws on a paper birch tree, all under one North Star. Through bog and marsh, along river and lake, across prairie and into the woods, children learn what lives where by counting the creatures on foot or in flight, swimming or perching in exquisite woodcut and watercolor illustrations created by Beckie Prange and Betsy Bowen in an artistic collaboration. For those looking for more about the pictured wildlife, Phyllis Root includes fascinating facts and information on the states ecosystems and the plants and animals that make their homes there.

Cold, wet, and acidic, bogs appear to be extremely hostile to life, yet numerous plants and animals have adapted in fascinating ways in order to survive there. In Big Belching Bog, Phyllis Root lets us in on the secrets of the mysterious bog, describing such special inhabitants as plants that eat insects, bog lemmings, and frogs that stay frozen through the winter and thaw out in the spring. But what's that coming up from the bottom of the bog?The biggest bog secret of all, we learn, is the remarkable process of methane gas belching out of the bog. The gas is created by decaying peat moss and forms a bulge in the surface of the moss six inches or taller before breaking through. Does this "belch" make a sound? No one knows, says Root, because no one has ever heard it. In fact, bogs are known as some of the quietest places on earth. Maybe you will be the first to hear the big bog belch!Illustrated by renowned woodcut artist Betsy Bowen, Big Belching Bog also contains a section of bog facts, including more information about the plants and animals mentioned in the book as well as tips for visiting a bog. Big Belching Bog will stir the imagination of young readers and teach them about the landscape and environment of these mysterious and, ahem, gassy places.

The story of a forest “lost” by a surveying error-and all the flora and fauna to be found thereA forest, of course, doesn’t need a map to know where to grow. But people need a map to find it. And in 1882 when surveyors set out to map a part of Minnesota, they got confused, or tired and cold (it was November), and somehow mapped a great swath of ancient trees as a lake. For more than seventy-five years, the mistake stayed on the map, and the forest remained safe from logging-no lumber baron expects to find timber in a lake, after all. The Lost Forest tells the story of this lucky error and of the 144 acres of old-growth red and white pine it preserved. With gentle humor, Phyllis Root introduces readers to the men at their daunting task, trekking across Minnesota, measuring and marking the vast land into townships and sections and quarters. She takes us deep into a stand of virgin pine, one of the last and largest in the state, where U.S. history and natural history meet. With the help of Betsy Bowen’s finely observed and beautiful illustrations, she shows us all the life that can be found in the Lost Forest.Accompanying the story is a wealth of information about the Cadastral Survey and about the plants and animals that inhabit forests-making the book a valuable guide for readers who might want to look even deeper into the history of Minnesota, the flora and fauna of old-growth forests, and the apportioning of land in America.

A tale about a rat who follows his dreams and goes to sea, with pictures by the illustrator of The Gruffalo.

A Chicago Public Library’s Best Informational Books for Younger Readers selectionBegin with a Bee and its story of the life of one queen bee, a rusty-patched bumblebee, teaches us not only about bees but also about our own responsibilities in the natural worldBy looking closely at the life cycle of one bee, Begin with a Bee helps readers of all ages understand and appreciate the contributions and significance of all bees. The life cycle of the rusty-patched bumblebee is a tale of wonder, the adventure of one queen bee who carries an entire colony of bees inside her tiny body. Her story begins in the spring when she emerges from a hole in the ground to search for pollen. She finds a nest, “underground best,” lays a few eggs, and seals them in pollen. All summer this single queen lays more eggs, and more worker bees hatch. They gather pollen and maintain the colony until next year’s queen hatches in the fall.The queen bee’s life unfolds through Claudia McGehee’s captivating illustrations. The authors-three beloved and prolific writers of award-winning children’s books-impart the poetry and basic science of the rusty-patched bumblebee, the first bee to appear on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Endangered Species list. Extensive commentary at the end of the book offers suggestions for being a friend to bees as well as a good citizen of the natural world. It also introduces the native plants that bumblebees need for survival. Begin with a Bee might inspire a child (or any of us) to seek out, identify, even cultivate these essential flowers-and participate in the next chapter in the story of all bumblebees.

An intrepid search for Minnesota’s wildflower treasures in out-of-the-way placesBeyond Minnesota’s sunlit prairies and lush north woods, wonders of wildflowers bloom, gracing fens and forested swamps, sand dunes and the rocky North Shore, even ditches and abandoned mine dumps. Venturing farther afield than their first book Searching for Native Wildflowers, Phyllis Root and Kelly Povo set out to explore smaller, less-traveled habitats throughout the state and find these hidden gems of nature. Chasing Wildflowers brings us along on their pursuit of Minnesota’s native wildflowers. Featuring Povo’s gorgeous photographs and Root’s finely detailed descriptions of nearly two hundred species, Chasing Wildflowers is both a handy guidebook and an entertaining chronicle of the thrills and occasional mishaps of the friends’ searches, from wading rivers and climbing rocky outcrops to getting their boots stuck in deep muck while on the run from an approaching storm. Here, readers will find twenty-eight of the orchids growing in Minnesota, forty-three of the state’s rare species, and flowers with names like Allegheny monkey flower, hairy false goldenaster, naked miterwort, and spoon-leaf sundew-as well as plenty of inspiration to set off on their own adventures. Neither botanists nor biologists, Root and Povo are wildflower enthusiasts determined to learn about native wildflowers wherever they can be found, providing readers with all the information they might need to find and identify rare and intriguing species in unexpected places. Along with their tales of adventure and exploration are resources and practical tips for your own outings, a glossary, and suggestions for helping preserve native habitats and wildflowers. A uniquely useful and engrossing resource for gardeners, naturalists, artists, hikers, photographers, and beyond, Chasing Wildflowers is the ultimate guide for anyone curious to learn more about our beautiful and surprising natural world.