Welcome to Litsy!

Written by Rachel Carson and illustrated by Nikki McClure, this book is a gift of genius. I don't think children will appreciate this picture book the way I did. I could see reading it out loud a page or two at a time, but it's heavy with beauty, wonder, and science.

I lived in lofts (literally named The Library Lofts) shortly after the downtown KC library opened with its now famous wall of book spines. My apartment was a mere block away, so needless to say I spent a lot of time there. I have since read a few of the selected books for the display, & they have become favorites, however Rachel Carson's groundbreaking Silent Spring remains on my TBR. #earthy @eggs @alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

This was a slow read but pretty enjoyable. It's definitely a little idealistic, but I don't say that as a bad thing, and the basic premise is that there are indigenous traditions of land management and agriculture in Wales that can contribute to biodiversity, carbon sequestration, water management, etc. It's less about language than I'd been led to expect, but it does discuss Welsh a fair bit too.

Fascinating to hear how much oaks impact the ecosystem— I wonder if we can find a place to grow one even if we move to the city. Great book either way & very well researched

I'm not incredibly comfortable with defining “Welshness“ as being largely defined by language, owing to the suppression of the Welsh language by the English. Aaaand I think some people would be super uncomfortable with the fact that this book claims the term “indigenous“ for the Welsh (not wrong).

I'm with Glyn Jones for a definition of Welshness:

“To me, anyone can be a Welshman who chooses to be so and is prepared to take the consequences.“

This one just isn‘t working for me. I‘m not a fan of the writing or the structure, which frequently flips into memoir after a very short snippet of science.

What a little gem of a book. This is all about milkweed which provides food and shelter for the monarch butterfly but also many other species. The illustrations in this book are lovely and the accompanying text focuses on where this plant grows, its structure, diseases of the plant, the many insects found on and around it, and the story of a farm in California bringing back a native prairie. PS I currently have 7 chrysalises thanks to this plant!

@TieDyeDude I saw this poster advertising evening bat spotting tours on the River Cam and immediately thought of you! 😄🦇🚣🏻‍♀️

##JuneSpecials @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs
#WorldEnvirnmt