Henry K. Ripplinger

"If you're not from the prairie,
You don't know the sun.
You can't know the sun."

What?

Same thing for sky, snow, cold, wind, grass. That's not very inviting, is it?

The best of the book were the illustrations, especially the pure landscapes; they were wonderful. Some of the human forms, though, were wonky and distracting. Honestly, all the illustrations were pure nostalgia, lacking any nod to time beyond the mid twentieth century.

I lived in the Kansas and Oklahoma prairies in my childhood and show more teens. I love the prairies -- the sun, sky, snow, cold (not so much), wind, and grass. But the author repeating "you can't know" was an odd way to encourage others to get to know and appreciate them. show less

4.5 stars

This is a picture book/book of poetry that celebrates the North American prairies. The poetry describes the sun, the wind, the grass, the snow and more. David Bouchard went to school in the same Southern Saskatchewan town as I did, and the words really bring the place back to life, as do the amazing illustrations, which look just like it! This book brought back all those memories, so vividly, between the poetry and the illustrations. It's a beautiful book that describes it all show more perfectly - beautiful words and beautiful illustrations! show less

Both David Bouchard's poetical text (evocative of the weather, the sights, the sounds, the whole feeling of being on or near the prairie) and Henry Ripplinger's lush full-page paintings are a real treat for the senses (for both adults and children, although adults, especially those adults who live or have lived in provinces like Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the American Mid-West might, in fact, appreciate [b:If you're not from the prairie...|1264282|If you're not from the show more prairie...|David Bouchard|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328838878s/1264282.jpg|1253154] more than children). Bouchard's text is not spectacular, but both it and Ripplinger's gorgeous accompanying artwork made me feel the prairie sun, the wind, the sound of prairie grasses, the biting cold of winter blizzards. Reading [b:If you're not from the prairie...|1264282|If you're not from the prairie...|David Bouchard|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328838878s/1264282.jpg|1253154], I remembered my own awe at the immense, seemingly endless prairie skies, the flatness of the land, and how surprised I was at the lack of trees when we immigrated from Germany to Southern Alberta when I was a child. Recommended to anyone from the prairies and anyone interested in the prairies, this book would be perfect for the coffee table. show less

If You’re Not From The Prairie… is by Canadian-born author David Bouchard and illustrated by Henry Ripplinger. It won the Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice Award, and was nominated for the Sheila A. Egoff Children's Literature Prize and the Ontario Silver Birch Award.

If you’re not from the prairie, can you know the hot shining sun? Or the ever-constant wind, the endlessness of the grass? Can you really say you know the harshness of the blizzards in winter and the blistering show more cold? And will you ever truly know the heart of someone grown in the midst of the prairie, unless you’ve lived the land for yourself? In this simplistically elegant book David Bouchard explains what makes the timeless land of his childhood so special.

Even if you’re not from the prairie, this book will bring you there. The poignant poetry weaves a beautiful tapestry of the iconic sights and experiences of the Canadian prairie. Readers who have known this seemingly simple land will be whisked back as they remember lazy summer days in the ripe fields and the long winters of blistering cold. Complementing the verses are richly-detailed panoramic paintings, effortlessly capturing the glowing earth tones of the rolling land. This book is a sure favorite for any child or adult who has called the prairie home, as it gently reminds them of the unique land that made them who they are. show less