Thursday, March 4, 2021

#tbt: The Meadowlands: a Wetlands Survival Story by Thomas F. Yezersky


Meadowlands: a Wetlands Survival Story by Thomas F. Yezersky. 32 p. Farrar Straus Giroux/ Macmillan Publishers, March,2021. 9781580893466. (Own)

Happy Thursday Readers! #tbt features Meadowlands: a Wetlands Survival Story by Thomas F. Yezersky. Four hundred years of history is packed into this thirty-two page picture book, which starts the reader with an overhead view of the NJ Meadowlands from the top of the Empire State Building. The ecology of meadowlands and its value were not understood until fairly recently and so, my view from the family car on the NJ Turnpike was of mountains of garbage because the Meadowlands were landfills. In fact, there is an illustration in the book that perfectly matches my memory. 

Thankfully, the area has been reclaimed and rehabilitated. Miles of trails allow birders and budding environmentalists access to the ecological wonder that is the Meadowlands. The information in the book is fascinating, but the watercolor illustrations are utterly stunning! This is a great book for budding environmentalists.

The Meadowlands
was published in March of 2011. It was named a New York Times Notable Book and made the Bank Street Best Books list as well as winning the Cook Prize. I heard the author speak at a local Audubon Society meeting in May of 2011 and purchased a copy of book, which he autographed for our school library. Here's a link to that review. It is also available to borrow through ILL (Inter-Library Loan). 
Unfortunately, it appears this important book has gone out of print, so treat the book with care if you do borrow it.

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