Customer Reviews

Passionate Slugs & Hollywood Frogs: An Uncommon Field Guide to Northwest Backyards

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The kids and I just finished reading Passionate Slugs & Hollywood Frogs: An Uncommon Field Guide to Northwest Backyards. How can you not LOVE that title?! While reading this book we frequently found ourselves saying "Hmmm...I had no idea!" which is actually a really big deal considering this book is about my own backyard.

I read this book to the kids for school as a nature study read-aloud. Sometimes we would just read a chapter, talk it over and move on. Other times a chapter would be the beginning of a great discussion and a chance to digress down a very educational rabbit trail. The chapters are short, usually about 3-4 pages long. And while the whole book focuses on northwest backyards, the topics are wide-ranging such as blackberries, red alders, and of course those Passionate Slugs and Hollywood Frogs!

One small word of warning...the book does discuss frankly the birds and the bees about all of those birds and bees in your yard. I did find myself occasionally having to edit as I read the chapters aloud to the kids. Overall however, the content of the book and how wonderfully it pertained to my very own backyard, made the book an excellent purchase.

I enjoyed "Passionate Slugs & Hollywood Frogs" because the writing style made it fun to learn about the skunks, juncos, mice, etc., who live in and around our yard. The information was easy to understand and entertaining. It is the kind of book that I can read myself and share with my grandchildren. I really enjoyed it.

Mosquitos, grey squirrels, juncos -- most of us take these ordinary neighbors for granted and find our interest is piqued by more esoteric wildlife. The charm of this book is that it takes the creatures that we recognize already and can expect to see in our own yards, in parks, or hovering above a busy interstate and reveals the unique habits and foibles of each. Other essays shed light on the natural (and unnatural) history of common northwest plants including scotch broom, lawns, and the dreaded blackberry, and even go on to bring our attention to the skies. Each essay can be read independently, or the whole can be devoured at one sitting. By focussing on the mundane, Patricia Lichen and her talented illustrator Linda Feitner increase our appreciation of the richness of our environment.

Pat Lichen weaves fascinating scientific information with humor, personal experience, and heartfelt tenderness for the natural world. Linda Feltner's drawings gently accentuate the essays. I'd recommend these books as enjoyable reading and good reference for any household in the Pacific Northwest.

This is a great little field guide. I checke it out of the Library, then immediately called my local book store to get a copy to keep. He is really raw in his descriptions of the animals and bugs. What a fun book to add to a nature shelf collection!

Wow. I especially liked the info about the chickadee and how the author described feeding them by hand. The info about the opossum made me laugh out loud. This is a must-have book for nature lovers in WA & OR.

Save your money!! Not even worth buying used. If a field guide is going to be uncommon then it should be full of heart. Lacking this it should have basic info with at least a chuckle. I was left feeling MS Lichen never left her car and read better descriptions of Chickadees from grandma's diaries. Do not be conned by Linda Feltner's good field sketches and the sales package. This book is bought for the illustrations only!

Like all 3 of Lichen's "Uncommon Field Guide" series, "Passionate Slugs..." is uncommonly delightful to poke into. One can read it chapter-by-chapter or just open the book anywhere and delve in. Even if it is an animal or plant you are familiar with, there is a good likelihood that you will discover something new about it in her description. Reading her books is like the joy of discovering an animal or plant and discussing it with a knowledgeable friend. My only complaint is that there is not one of Feltner's detailed illustrations with every single chapter.

What a charming guide to backyard creatures of the northwest. The enjoyment I got from reading this book was like a conversation with a witty friend who just happens to know all about the critters and plants in my yard! I found it to be informative, humorous, and very down to earth. I would have appreciated a few more illustrations, but on the whole, I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to know more about the creatures and habitat in his/her northwest backyard.

This is a WONDERFUL series of essays full of fascinating facts, and is written with great humor. I especially loved the personal touch of the stories. And I think you don't necessarily have to live in the Pacific Northwest (like I do) to enjoy this book--many of the species are found across the country. Anyway, I highly recommend it to anyone who cares about the natural world or wants to learn more about the plants and animals around us.