Prairie Town (Small Town U.S.A.) [Hardcover]

Bonnie Geisert (Author), Arthur Geisert (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 30, 1998 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: Small Town U.S.A.

During the early 1900s, railroad companies laid tracks across America's open land. In fields of grass beside the new tracks prairie towns grew. The towns prospered amid the golden wheat fields, and grain elevators dominated the skyline. Bonnie Geisert's clear text explores the social and economic life of one of these towns, while the dramas of everyday life can be experienced in Arthur Geisert's panoramic hand-colored etchings. Here is a fascinating view of life in a thriving midwestern town, told with respect and affection for the resilient townspeople, as they work and play, their lives directly affected by the changing seasons.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4?The Geiserts present a year in the life of a small mid-western prairie town. In this accurate depiction, stories of everyday life unfold: houses are repaired, lawns are mowed, dying trees are pruned or removed, a junk-filled yard is cleaned up, a house is sold and a new family moves in, the school playground gains new equipment, someone gets a traffic ticket, a wedding takes place, a death is mourned, puppies are born...life goes on. The fascinating full-page illustrations provide minute details, while the clear, readable text explains in general terms the economic and social interdependence of the town and surrounding farms, and the influence of weather on the town's economic health. Young readers will want to return again and again to this bird's-eye view of small town life, as they follow the changing seasons through the year: spring plowing, summer grain harvest and the arrival of a circus, reopening of school and burning leaves in the fall, a winter blizzard. Small changes occur even as the town at first glance appears to stay the same. This colorful title captures the essence of the prairie as well as endangered small-town life.?Eunice Weech, M. L. King Elementary School, Urbana, IL
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 1^-3. In this companion to Haystack (1995), the Geiserts explore a small midwestern town through the course of a year. Brief text describes the economic and social partnerships between townsfolk and farm folk, especially those related to the agricultural seasons. A much more personal portrayal of town life emerges from the detailed double-page spreads that dominate the book. Precise etchings colored with washes alternate between panoramic views of the entire town (all four square blocks of it) and closer pictures of specific events and sites. The Geiserts approach the wide spreads from several perspectives to highlight different portions of town, but the results are never confusing. Careful readers will also notice more intimate details of town life, including a marriage, a death, a traffic ticket, and new puppies. A sure bet for primary social studies classes as well as browsers. Kay Weisman

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (March 30, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395859077
• ISBN-13: 978-0395859070
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,125,020 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bonnie Geisert grew up on a farm near Cresbard, South Dakota, and her childhood adventures there inspired many of the events in her PRAIRIE trilogy. Ms.Geisert now lives in a small town in northern Illinois, where she still revels in beautiful prairie winters.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely and loving view of the year's cycle in a small town, March 7, 1998

By 

J. Daniels (Platteville, WI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prairie Town (Small Town U.S.A.) (Hardcover)

In _Prairie Town_, the work, play, and socializing of a small community are vividly illustrated in a way to capture the interest of young and old. The finely wrought etchings are _Prairie Town's_ greatest strength. Even adults will enjoy tracing changes in buildings and activities as a small farm town moves from spring to summer to fall to winter. Watching the tree house expand was one of my favorites. Each time a reader goes through the book, he or she will notice new details. The only drawback to this excellent picture book is the occasional use of vocabulary too advanced for the 6 to 8 year olds that would seem to be the book's intended audience. Anyone who enjoyed Geisert's _Haystack_ will find delightful references in _Prairie Town_ to the earlier book. The cycle of the seasons is an ongoing part of all Midwesterners' lives, and the Geiserts' _Prairie Town_ captures that cycle very effectively.