Book Review of Joe Leap: A Grasshopper Adventure in the Flint Hills of Kansas
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The Children’s Book Review
Joe Leap: A Grasshopper Adventure in the Flint Hills of Kansas
Written and illustrated by DeAnn Melton
Ages 4+ | 32 Pages
Publisher: JP Ranch | ISBN-13: 9780983987176
What to Expect: Nature, Kansas, Insects, Biology
How much do you know about the Lubber Grasshopper? Joe Leap is a Lubber Grasshopper who makes his home in the tall grass and trees of the Flint Hills in Kansas. Joe likes to leap and crawl to the tops of trees and crops, where he eats and eats and eats, leaving irregular-shaped holes in the leaves. Sometimes, Joe has to hide from the Western Meadowlark, who flies through the hills, keeping crop- destroying insects like Joe under control. Later in the summer, the Lubbers will lay eggs—there’s no shortage of work for the Western Meadowlark!
Grounded in a passion for and intimate knowledge of the ecosystem of the Kansas Flint Hills, Joe Leap walks readers through the life cycle and biology of the Lubber Grasshopper. From its appearance and diet to its battles with predators, readers will see the world through Joe’s eyes, learning a lot about the biology of insects in the process. As with all of Melton’s books, this wealth of science learning is supported by stunning, hand-painted illustrations that capture the beauty of this particular ecosystem in glowing colors.
A fact sheet at the end of the book gives readers more information, while visual cues (like text size and color), sound words, and simple rhyming text throughout help learning readers navigate the story.
Joe Leap is a delightful new addition to Melton’s growing list of nature stories.
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About the Author
DeAnn Melton received an M.F.A. degree from the University of Arizona. She is a painter who works in watercolor and oil, has participated in museum shows, and has worked with galleries. Melton has been working on a series of life-size portraits of artists, curators, and art collectors since 1992. She is currently working on a series of oil paintings of large birds whose gestural poses enliven the canvas. In 2022 DeAnn Melton published the children’s book FLYWAYS, which she wrote and illustrated.
For more information, visit https://deannmelton.com/ and https://jpranchpublishing.com/.
Dedicated Reviews allow authors and illustrators to gain prompt visibility for their work. This is a sponsored*, non-biased review of Joe Leap: A Grasshopper Adventure in the Flint Hills of Kansas by DeAnn Melton. Learn more about getting a book review …