Saturday, February 22, 2014

Brown, Don. The Great American Dust Bowl.

Brown, Don.  The Great American Dust Bowl.  Houghton Mifflin/Harcourt Brace  2013   80p  $18.99  ISBN 978-0-547-81550-3      all ages    Graphic nonfiction  VG-BN

This book provides a graphic explanation of when the Dust Bowl started and what caused it to be so devastating on that Sunday, April 14, 1935, and the following years.  The author and illustrator, Dan Brown, has done an excellent job of presenting the background and important facts needed to understand the savage dust storm that tore across the plains.  Readers will realize that no one factor caused the dust storm.  It came about after a series of unfortunate farming choices, world events, and several years of drought.

The illustrations
are simple and dramatic, effectively portraying the tenor of the situation.  The use of the gold, brown, and orange color scheme further helps the reader to get into the correct mindset for understanding the Dust Bowl.

Summary: This book provides a graphic explanation of the Dust Bowl: when and how it started and what caused it to be so devastating on that Sunday, April 14, 1935, and the following years.  The author and illustrator has done an excellent job of presenting the background and important facts pertaining to this savage dust storm that tore across the plains. 
           
Dust Bowl, American history                                       --Linda McNeil

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