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Rooting for Plants: The Unstoppable Charles S. Parker, Black Botanist and Collector
CCBC Review:
Charles Parker loved nature as a child. As a young man, he served overseas during World War I and returned home to the Pacific Northwest deeply moved by both the loss of human life and the destruction of forests and plants he’d witnessed in the war. He went to school to study botany and began cataloging numerous plants of the Pacific Northwest. He also developed a method to preserve plants. Parker was hired by Howard University, where he loved teaching—and was a beloved teacher—and encouraging young Black people to become scientists. He also continued his fieldwork, exploring and chronicling plants region by region in the United States, always asking questions, and encouraging his students to do the same. The back matter of this picture book biography includes a biographical essay, a timeline, and brief profiles of other Black scientists. ©2023 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Theodore III Taylor
CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 6-9
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Formats:
Biography, Autobiography and Memoir
Picture book
Subjects:
20th Century
African Americans
Biography
Plants and Trees
Science and Scientists
Teachers/Mentors
Diversity subject:
Black/African
Publishers:
Calkins Creek, Astra
Publish Year: 2023
Pages: 48
ISBN: 9781662680199
CCBC Location: Non-Fiction, 920 Parker