Chicago Botanic Garden

Education — Lenhardt Library

Current Books & Book Reviews

PHOTO: bookcover

Rebecca L. Johnson.
Carnivorous Plants.
Minneapolis, Minn.: Lerner Publications, 2007.
Decorated boards, 48 pp., ISBN 0–822–56563–3, $25.26.

Carnivorous plants, those green plants that catch animals, fascinate both young and old. These predators survive by getting their nutrients from animal life, usually insects, which they lure to their bodies. Author Rebecca Johnson explains the life and death processes in this educational text, suitable for children and young adult readers. Clear photographs depict the different species that set traps to catch food. Recognizing that these intriguing plants are endangered in the wild, Johnson encourages good conservation practices by those who are interested in growing them. The accompanying bibliography is excellent and should spur students and gardeners into further research and interest in this field.

— Marilyn K. Alaimo, garden writer and volunteer, Chicago Botanic Garden.