Here in California, we have had SO much rain! I, for one, am extremely grateful as we have been living through a drought. The Sierras are sparkling with snow, the rivers are flowing, and best of all the wild flowers are super blooming! I’ve been spending the last two weeks out enjoying the show and my camera roll is packed with color. Hopefully, there will be a few more weeks to enjoy all this glorious goodness. I’m excited to share a perfect picture book to celebrate.
WAKE SLEEPY ONE
California Poppies and the Super Bloom
By Lisa Kerr (author)
Illustrations by Lisa Paul Braun
West Margin Press: 2022
Picture book for ages 4-8
Themes: flowers, nature, habitat
The story begins…
In the desert, a winter frost melts.
Fog drifts. Ravens cry.
Scorpions glow. Painted ladies glide.
Something new is about to begin.
Wake, sleepy one.
It is miraculous to see what happens in the dessert after a rain. WAKE, SLEEPY ONE: California Poppies and the Super Bloom blends great story telling with scientific narrative, lyrically describing the habitat where poppies bloom. Readers who think of deserts as desolate places will quickly understand that they are rich with life that has adapted to a harsh climate. The life cycle of the poppy provides the framework leading to the culmination of the super bloom.
The glorious illustrations are both intriguing and scientifically correct which invite readers to linger on each page. There are side notes giving additional facts and details making this a good book to read aloud as well as providing information for curious children.
This book has some of the best back matter that I have seen in a picture book. Included are a glossary, sources for further reading, more information about poppies and the super bloom, and a brief biography of Jane Pinheiro, poppy pioneer. In addition, for those of us who can visit a rare super bloom, there are suggestions on how to protect the flowers and a list of the best places to find them.
So, I guess you can figure out where I’m headed on this beautiful day.
Learn more about the author at Lisa Kerr Books. Also, check out her Instagram account. She recently flew over the super blooms and shares photos of this year’s incredible flower show.
p.s. these are coastal California poppies that have some color variations growing at the Pismo Monarch Butterfly Grove:
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