What good is a dead plant? A lot! Herbaria, a picture book for grades one through eight, explains why, leading readers on an accessible, engaging exploration of who loves dead plants—and why. In these pages, we learn about famous historical plant collectors and the paths they established investigating plants. Readers join today’s field botanists as they go far and wide to discover new species, and we get to look in the herbarium at how specimens are mounted and organized for everyone to use and enjoy. The book as a whole helps kids to visualize themselves as botanists gathering, preserving, and unlocking the mysteries of plants. In addition to beautiful watercolor illustrations and photos, the book includes interactive features such as lift-a-flaps, overlays, and a foldout.

We are proud that this publication won the 2022 Award of Excellence for Children & Young Adults from the Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries.