Customer Reviews

Shanleya's Quest: A Botany Adventure for Kids Ages 9-99

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Shanleya is a young girl who lives in a world where Time is a liquid that falls as rain. When Shanleya paddles her canoe out to the "Tree Islands" to learn the plant traditions of her people, she learns that each island is home to a separate family of plants, and encounters an unforgettable Guardian with lessons to teach her about the identification and uses of those plants. A mythic, fairytale-like picturebook story for young readers, Shanleya's Quest: A Botany Adventure For Kids Ages 9 To 99 is as entertaining as it is thoughtful and thought-provoking, introducing young readers to the complex and diverse world of plant life -- and how to correctly identify various species of plants. There are even bits of sage advice along the way such as "In our national parks it is illegal to pick flowers. Please leave them for others to enjoy!". Deftly written by Thomas Elpel (whose informative text is enhanced with the artwork of Gloria Brown), Shanleya's Quest is confidently recommended for school and community library collections.

I really liked the idea for this book. A modern-day myth with accurate botanical information? Sign me up!
Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed with the execution. The writing style is somewhat stiff and repetitive, which I find off-putting. However, since most kids (or adults, for that matter) aren't as picky as I am, they probably won't mind. It's still a cool book!

Overall rating: 3 stars
Plant identification: 3 stars
Plant uses: 2 stars
Picture type(s): cartoonish watercolor paintings
Who will find it useful: young kids (ages 3-9) just learning about plants, homeschoolers (though strongly conservative Christians may not approve of the book's creation myth)

Notes: This somewhat "hippie-ish" book is designed to be an introduction into plant identification for young kids. It only covers a few plant types but focuses on edible plants along with similar toxic plants. It doesn't teach harvesting or preparation. The artwork is bright and clearly identifies the important characteristics of the different plant families. My daughters (4 & 7) like it.