Prairie Dogs [Hardcover]

Dorothy Hinshaw Patent (Author), William Munoz (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 1993 | Age Level: 9 and up

Discusses the habits and life cycle of prairie dogs and examines their place in the ecology of the prairie.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gr. 3-6. Patent describes the varieties, features, habits, habitats, and predators of prairie dogs in her latest collaboration with Mu{¤}noz. The text and illustrations work together, each enlarging the other and both enlightening the reader. Appearing on nearly every page, the full-color photographs take readers out to the prairie to see its plants and animals clearly. Besides the usual animal structure and behavior information, the book explains issues of land management that relate to prairie dogs today: loss of habitat to development, farming, and cattle ranching; government and rancher policies of poisoning prairie dogs; and recent knowledge about the ecology of prairie dog towns. An effective and readable presentation. Carolyn Phelan

From Kirkus Reviews

The prolific Patent at her best, with a succinct, well researched, and informative rundown of the prairie rodent's lifestyle and social organization, plus a clear presentation of its controversial role: knowing that 400 or so prairie dogs eat enough grass to maintain a cow, ranchers (and the US) have exterminated them by the millions (``Their numbers have been reduced by about 90 percent''). But Patent presents recent evidence that their colonies actually enrich the grass enough so that the land's value as pasture is maintained, while a multitude of other species thrive in and around their burrows. Though they're appealing, these little creatures don't lend themselves to dramatic photos; still, Mu¤oz contrives a pleasing variety in his color photos, including shots of their neighbors and habitat. Useful and consistently interesting. Bibliography; index. (Nonfiction. 9-14) -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (August 15, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395565723
• ISBN-13: 978-0395565728
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #559,145 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Every since I was a child I've loved nature and animals. I spent my time out of doors, picking flowers and scooping tadpoles out of ponds. So it's no wonder I studied biology and became an author myself of a favorite gift when I was young, a book about nature. I've expanded into other fascinating areas of nonfiction, too, especially historical topics of the American west, such as Lewis and Clark and Native Americans.
My work has given me the gift of travel to all sorts of fascinating places such as the Galapagos Island, the Costa Rican Rain Forest, and the famous cave at Lascaux, France, full of amazing ancient art that is no longer open to visitors.

To learn more about me and my books, visit my website, www.dorothyhinshawpatent.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Primer On Prairie Dogs, August 12, 2007

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tvtv3 "tvtv3" (Sorento, IL United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Prairie Dogs (Clarion Nonfiction) (Paperback)

Prairie dogs are fascinating little animals. They are an uniquely American animal that are connected to our history and to our ecology. I've had the opportunity to work with prairie dogs for two summers and found myself fondly attached to the creatures. When I first began working with them, I wanted to learn as much about them as I could in a short time. I searched a variety of sources until I discovered this delightful and informative little book.

PRAIRIE DOGS is geared towards children, but works well as a primer about prairie dogs for adults, too. The book is easy to read and is quite informative and the wonderful photographs by William Munoz are wonderful visualizations to Patent's engaging non-fiction prose. In less than 65 pages the book examines everything from the type of animals they are to the food they eat, how they live, the myths about prairie dogs and cattle, the government sponsored killing of the animals, their intricate link to black-footed ferrets, and the integral part that prairie dogs play in preserving the dwindling prairies of the U.S. That's quite a bit of information in such a short book, but Patent presents it so well that instead of feeling bogged down by facts, readers finish the book feeling uplifted by knowledge and strongly connected to the cuddly squirrels of the prairies. Highly recommended for anyone who has any interest in prairie dogs.