KidLit Review - 10 Plants That Shook The World by Gillian Richardson

10 Plants That Shook The World by Gillian Richardson from Annick Press

Synopsis

Plants might start out as leafy things growing in the earth, but they can come into our lives in unexpected ways. And believe it or not, some have even played an exciting role in our world's history. Discover how: Countries went to war to control trade centers for pepper A grass called papyrus became the first effective tool for sharing knowledge through writing Europeans in the 1600s cut down rainforests to grow sugar, contributing to soil erosion Cotton improved the livelihoods of a few, but caused unthinkable suffering for many more Corn fueled new technologies and turns up in thousands of everyday products The discovery of rubber revolutionized transportation, making bike and car tires possible Tea and chocolate became big business, and the race for profits was on Dependence on the potato caused one of the greatest tragedies in history, while the bark of the cinchona tree saved countless lives from malaria.

The ten plants in this book are the source of profound changes in the world, both good and bad. Through vibrant illustrations and astonishing facts, you'll discover that without them, our lives today would be vastly different.

My Review

While the intended audience of this book is children, I have to say, even at my age,  I learned a ton from reading it. I was captivated by the history behind each of the plants Gillian Richardson profiled in this book, they are:

• Papyrus
• Pepper
• Tea
• Sugarcane
• Cotton 
• Cacao
• Cinchona
• Rubber
• Potato
• Corn

For each plant Richardson begins with a brief overview of where it originated, how old the plant is, and the plants "likes" and "dislikes." Then she gives us the story of the plant, which is, in essence, its history. To be honest you, if this was all that was in this book, my expectations would have been satisfied, but Richardson had grander plans.

For each plant there were additional embedded blurbs concerning individual anecdotes about the plant in our world. How each plant affected economies, environments, world explorations and warfare were all aspects discussed. Each section also featured a narrative describing a pivotal piece of the plant's history from the perspective of a person whose life was directly affected by it. I thought these stories were beautifully creative ways to bring even a small aspect of the history to life for the reader.

The color palette and art by Kim Rosen were seamless throughout the book and kid friendly. (Here's a post about Kim's work on the book!) Flipping through the pages of the book, you get the impression that it is informative and intriguing without being overwhelming. By the end of my read, I was shocked by how much information was packed in this unassuming book!

My Final Word

It is easy for us to forget how amazing something as simple as pepper or tea is. This book is a great reminder for adults and the beginning of that education for kids. The beautiful balance between straight expository (fact based) text, creative nonfiction, lists and artwork found in this book is rarely accomplished so well. Reading this book was a pleasure and I plan to read it again.  I think this book is great read for kids interested in history or the environment, but can also be an excellent resource book for any reports that may be coming up during the school year.

Which of the ten plants written about in this book would be most earth-shattering for you to live without?

What do you look for in a nonfiction read? 

When buying a book for a child, do you prefer to gift fiction or nonfiction? Why?

Thanks for reading!

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I was given a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.