Our Texas

By: Jackie Mims Hopkins / Illustrated by: Craig J. Spearing Take a tour of the Lone Star State From King Ranch to the Alamo on through the capital city of Austin, explore historical sites, learn about the people who helped Texas develop, and discover the natural beauty of this dynamic state. Revised and re-illustrated, Our Texas (originally Tumbleweed Tom on the Texas Trail) takes readers on a tour of the cities and wilderness of this larger-than-life state. If you like this book, you’ll enjoy these: Alaska Our California Nuestra California [TABS] Look Inside Author & Illustrator Jackie Mims Hopkins, author Jackie was born in Tyler, Texas, during the annual Texas Rose Festival. She and her family then moved to Houston, where Jackie still makes her home today. Her books include Goldie Socks and the Three Libearians and The Shelf Elf (Upstart Books). Read more about Jackie. Craig J. Spearing, illustrator Craig spent several of his formative years in Texas. He attended Rhode Island School of Design and became a full-time illustrator in 1995. Craig currently lives in Oregon. Read more about Craig. Editorial Reviews Libraries Unlimited Bright, colorful illustrations make the pages of Our Texas pop. Part poetry, part prose, this book is a cheerful introduction to the great state of Texas. Rhyming couplets describe features of key sites. Additional features include a large-scale map of Texas and pages highlighting the state gemstone, flower, dish, vegetable, pepper, insect, and small animal, as well as bulleted, factual nuggets of information about the cities themselves. Our Texas portrays the diversity of this state and features the groups that contribute to its unique culture: Native Americans, Latinos, cowboys, soldiers, traders, astronauts, and farmers. From the elementary school teacher who is a teaching a unit on the states, to the casual reader who wants to become familiar with the history and culture of Texas, this book would be an appropriate introduction. It gives just enough information to intrigue and to motivate the reader to learn more. School Library Journal Sixteen places in Texas are introduced in a-a-b-b verses. Some rhymes flow off the tongue, while others are harder to read. "In Houston the oil barons crave Texas tea! That black gold's a priceless commodity. The city hosts NASA and its astronauts whom Mission Control oversees from this spot," and "Up north in the Panhandle sits Amarillo. There are plenty of cattle, but few armadillo. The Grand Canyon of Texas is something to view. With luck you might spy the horned toad in there, too." Each four-line poem provides facts regarding location and features of the area. Most are commonly known cities: Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, and El Paso; others are less recognized, including Gonzales, Kingsville, and Tyler. The realistic colored-pencil illustrations are big and bold and done in dark tones; several different concepts are incorporated on a spread. Acceptable if materials are needed for younger students regarding the state and its diversity. Downloadables Download the Cover Details Paperback ISBN: 978-1-57091-726-4 E-book ISBN: 978-1-60734-188-8 EPUB Ages: 6-9 Page count: 44 10 x 10 [/TABS]