Serengeti: Plains of Grass, written by Leslie Bulion and illustrated by Becca Stadtlander. Peachtree, Penguin Random House, 2022. $24.99 ages 8 and up

 

"Hoofbeats thunder under blazing sun, 
a great migration toward the plain, 
grazing zebras, first to begin,
clear away taller, tougher grass. 

Plains zebras have sharp front teeth to cut through the tough stems and leaves of tall grasses. They get the nutrients they need by eating and quickly digesting lots of grass."

Using an impressive mix of carefully researched science and outstanding poetry, as she has done in earlier exemplary books, Leslie Bulion introduces her readers to the beauty and wonders of the Serengeti grasslands. What a truly complex ecosystem it is! 

In early winter as rains return to the Serengeti, a mighty migration brings vast numbers of large mammals back to feast on the plants now growing there. Each of those migrating animals has its own role to play in the complex web of life. Zebras are first, grazing on the tall grasses. Wildebeests make meals of the shorter grassy areas, while acting as transport for oxpeckers in a mutually beneficial practice. The speedy gazelle is next, grazing on the low growth 'gnu-mown grass', and any herbs they may discover. Giraffes, with their twenty-inch-long tongues are able to enjoy the leaves and buds on the tall acacia trees. 

Ms. Bulion then turns her attention to some of the smallest plants and creatures found there - butterflies, ants, and grasshoppers. A turn of the page offers clear information on boulder heaps called kopjes and furry rock rabbits called hyrax. There is so much to learn and to see. Each informative double-page spread brings an array of other residents of the grasslands. Readers will meet the dik-dik, termites, aardvarks, a black mamba, a brave secretary bird, jackals, cheetahs, vultures, hyenas, and dung beetles. 

"Dung beetles are busy recyclers
that mix air and nutrients back 
into the soil of the Serengeti Plain."

As monsoon winds shift, the mighty migration begins once more. It is late spring; new food sources and water must be found. 

Opening the book to the endpapers, you can almost feel the heat emanating from the blazing red and its touches of orange and yellow.  Wonderful horizontal spreads fully capture the vast expanse of the grasslands. Seeing through the artist's eyes, readers experience the beauty at all times of the day. Gouache and pastel illustrations bring out the spectacular colors, weather changes and continuous movement. This is a book that encourages further learning. 

In back matter, Ms. Bulion describes the poetic form utendi, a traditional Swahili form from East Africa that was originally used for 'serious subjects and shared wisdom on how to live a good life in the world'. A Serengeti Glossary is useful and enlightening. Websites are shared, as well as a list of books for further reading.