Granny's Country Store > Thomas J. Elpel > Shanleya's Quest | Search | View Cart
Shanleya's Quest
A Botany Adventure for Kids Ages 9 to 99
By Thomas J. Elpel, author of Botany in a Day
Illustrated by Gloria Brown
Shanleya's Quest is a story that is both educational and fun. It makes a great gift idea for nieces, nephews, and neighborhood kids!
In a mythical world where time is a liquid that falls as rain upon the land, young Shanleya paddles her canoe out to the "Tree Islands" to learn the plant traditions of her people. Each island is home to a separate family of plants and an unforgettable Guardian with lessons to teach about the identification and uses of those plants.
Shanleya's Quest is a truly unique educational book that presents botanical concepts and plant identification skills in an easy and fun metaphorical format for children as well as for adults who are young at heart.
The book begins with a creation myth that parallels evolutionary concepts, where life begins as bubbles in a puddle of soup under the radiance of Father Sun and the gentle glow of Mother Moon. The evolutionary tree of life becomes a literal part of the story, buried up to its branch-tips (the "islands") in an ocean of Time that just keeps getting deeper and deeper. This is the world that Shanleya explores by canoe, learning the essential characteristics of closely related plants on each island she visits.
Readers young and old can join Shanleya's Quest, learning the patterns to correctly identify more than 45,000 species of plants to their proper families. The Quest will change the way you see the world, enabling you to experience nature in a new and magical way that you probably never imagined possible.
Written by outdoor educator Thomas J. Elpel, author of Botany in a Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification. Wonderfully illustrated by Gloria Brown, who blended botanical accuracy with fantasy to produce artwork that both captivates and educates! March 2005. 32 pages. 8-1/2" x 11". Hard Cover. $12.50.
-Please scroll down for the on-line order form.-
Read the book. Play the game! The Patterns in Plants Card Game is a fun way to test your skills at identifying the family patterns described in Shanleya's Quest. Learn to see the patterns in the game. Then you will be able to recognize them in the real world!
Many different plant identification games are possible with this deck of cards. ISBN: 1-892784-23-8 March 2006. $12.50.
|
See also I'm a Medicine Woman, Too!