Love this book! The story is great and the illustrations are sublime! I'm probably going to buy this book! ( )

For each geographic area Laura Ingalls Wilder lived, McDowell addresses topics having to do with nature (local flora and fauna, drought, etc.) She also talks about the progression of farming practices throughout the years. Some of the material is from the Little House series. Other material is from Pioneer Girl or McDowell's own research. A lot of photos are incorporated into the text, which makes a nice companion to the information presented. I'd recommend this to anyone who has read the entire Little House series, as it is more fact driven. It also makes a relaxing comfort read with the focus on nature, flowers and gardens. ( )

As a child, I was constantly reading and re-reading the Little House books (probably because they were considered "appropriate" reading by my conservative family). Now that I'm the manager of a food and agriculture library, this is a well-written look at a facet of the Little House world which I find particularly interesting and was previously unexplored. Photos and text from historical bulletins and documents similar to my library's holdings are found throughout this book -- from old land surveying maps to handbooks of native and domestic plants of the region. This is a must-read for fans and a great addition to the ever-growing collection of writing about the Little House world. ( )

I'm predisposed to love anything Little House-related and this book is no exception. It takes a look at the series through a natural lens, focusing on the flora and fauna that Laura described in the books, and taking a closer look at their history and how accurate Laura's memories were. (Side note, she was pretty accurate.) It also talks about the gardens and prairie grasses and trees and birds mentioned in the books, and some that weren't mentioned but were a part of Laura and Almanzo's later life at Rocky Ridge Farm. It also includes tons of illustrations, maps and photographs, which I loved poring over as I read. This one's a keeper.

Beautifully illustrated with drawings, maps, and photographs from the era of the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder to the current day. Well written and an interesting perspective that appears to be based on a great deal of research. Nicely told! ( )