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If You're Not From The Prairie by David Bouchard
A nostalgic, evocative look at life in the prairieland of America offers simple, moving verse and beautiful artwork that capture the essence of life in the enduring heartland of North America.
Paperback
First published April 1, 1993
1 person is currently reading
196 people want to read
About the author
David Bouchard
79 books37 followersCanadian Métis author and literacy advocate David Bouchard has produced more than fifty books for readers of all ages, including two guides on reading for parents and educators.
An erstwhile teacher and school principal, he is particularly concerned with Aboriginal-related issues and is a sought-after speaker for conference keynotes and school presentations and on topics of reading, literacy and aboriginal well-being.
David Bouchard's books have won numerous awards, including a Special Mention for Non-Fiction in the 2010 Bologna Ragazzi Awards for The Drum Calls Softly, a Gold Medal in the 2008 Moonbeam Award for I am Raven, the 2004 Governor General's Award for The Song Within My Heart, the 1999 Red Cedar Award for The Great Race and the 1997 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award for Voices from the Wild. An Aboriginal Carol was included in the 2008 White Ravens Catalogue.
In April 2009, Bouchard was named as a Member of the Order of Canada "for his contributions as an author of children’s books and an advocate who has championed the cause of reading and writing, and who has shared his pride as a member of the Métis community through his stories."
David lives in Victoria, British Columbia, with his wife Vicki and their daughter Victoria.
-taken from the author's website
An erstwhile teacher and school principal, he is particularly concerned with Aboriginal-related issues and is a sought-after speaker for conference keynotes and school presentations and on topics of reading, literacy and aboriginal well-being.
David Bouchard's books have won numerous awards, including a Special Mention for Non-Fiction in the 2010 Bologna Ragazzi Awards for The Drum Calls Softly, a Gold Medal in the 2008 Moonbeam Award for I am Raven, the 2004 Governor General's Award for The Song Within My Heart, the 1999 Red Cedar Award for The Great Race and the 1997 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award for Voices from the Wild. An Aboriginal Carol was included in the 2008 White Ravens Catalogue.
In April 2009, Bouchard was named as a Member of the Order of Canada "for his contributions as an author of children’s books and an advocate who has championed the cause of reading and writing, and who has shared his pride as a member of the Métis community through his stories."
David lives in Victoria, British Columbia, with his wife Vicki and their daughter Victoria.
-taken from the author's website
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
December 12, 2017
Both David Bouchard's poetical text (evocative of the weather, the sights, the sounds, the whole feeling of being on or near the prairie, on or near prairie farms and the wide expansiveness of these farms) and Henry Ripplinger's lush full-page accompanying paintings are a pleasure for the senses (a book for both adults and children, although adults, especially those of us who live or have lived in provinces like Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the American Mid-West might, in fact, appreciate If You're not From the Prairie even more than children).
Bouchard's text is actually not all that spectacular, but both it and Ripplinger's gorgeous artwork make me feel (experience) the prairie sun, the wind, the sound of prairie grasses, the biting cold of winter blizzards. Reading this book, looking at the illustrations, also makes me remember my own sense of awe at the immense, seemingly endless prairie skies, the flatness of the land, and how surprised I was at the lack of especially deciduous 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, If You're Not From the Prairie would be perfect for the coffee table.
Bouchard's text is actually not all that spectacular, but both it and Ripplinger's gorgeous artwork make me feel (experience) the prairie sun, the wind, the sound of prairie grasses, the biting cold of winter blizzards. Reading this book, looking at the illustrations, also makes me remember my own sense of awe at the immense, seemingly endless prairie skies, the flatness of the land, and how surprised I was at the lack of especially deciduous 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, If You're Not From the Prairie would be perfect for the coffee table.
June 10, 2024
5+ stars (6/10 hearts). Genuinely one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever seen. I’m not from the prairie, but my mother and grandparents are, and from the time I was a baby she showed this book to me and connected her own memories to the text and images, and now the emotional connection I have with this book is huge. But even that aside, it’s just a gorgeous book, with such poignant poetry and beautiful, beautiful images… Makes you proud to be Canadian, even if you’re not from the prairie. <3
February 13, 2010
The repetitive text kept my four-year-old interested. It made a good geography lesson for my seven- and nine-year-olds.
The illustrations were pretty nice, but the artist wasn't gifted enough to capture the way the prairie sky starts at your left ankle and loops over your head to end at your right ankle. I don't know what artist could be that gifted. I think to know that, you have to go to the prairie, just as the author writes in not these words but his own: if you're not from the prairie, you don't know the sun the way do those who have had to look down *and* cover with a hand your *closed* eyes to avoid being actually literally blinded by the sun, blinded as in everything-is-black. You don't know that snow is iridescent. You don't know wind is your lover because you haven't felt him always there stroking you incessantly, closing doors you forget, moving your stuff unless you pin it down. You don't know what it is to stand up and be IN the sky. You don't know the swaying and singing of the universalist congregation of grass. I can think of more than the author included: you don't know the silencing of being surrounded by naught by air and grass, the humility accompanied by the inability to make your voice travel to someone four feet away. You can't imagine the sensation of looking miles away across a perfect flat flatness and not being able to see a person or evidence of humanity in any direction, ANY direction, except your own car.
Of course it made me yearn to go back.
All in all, a pretty good book on a really good theme. If it makes basically physical geography into a bedtime story a little kid'll listen to, then it has all five of my stars.
May 30, 2015
Beautiful illustrations and a poem celebrating the sensory impact of the prairie through all four seasons and its imprinted and lasting effect upon the narrator who seems to exist as both child and adult.
June 21, 2021
I grew up adjacent to the prairie. This resonates.
Read others' reviews, especially R.C.'s, to see how deeply it does for someone truly from there: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... It's an amazing review that deserves five stars.
I am not giving this book the fifth star until someone explains the last couplet. To me it sounds like the narrator is telling 'you' to lie and say you're from the prairie and then he and 'you' will have a special connection. But that doesn't seem right.... -- ?
One particular audience that might benefit from this is someone who has recently moved to the prairie from a different climate, and is having trouble understanding the appeal. It would also make a great mentor text, as everyone's home has something special. "You don't know the coast until you've climbed the dunes..." or whatever.
Read others' reviews, especially R.C.'s, to see how deeply it does for someone truly from there: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... It's an amazing review that deserves five stars.
I am not giving this book the fifth star until someone explains the last couplet. To me it sounds like the narrator is telling 'you' to lie and say you're from the prairie and then he and 'you' will have a special connection. But that doesn't seem right.... -- ?
One particular audience that might benefit from this is someone who has recently moved to the prairie from a different climate, and is having trouble understanding the appeal. It would also make a great mentor text, as everyone's home has something special. "You don't know the coast until you've climbed the dunes..." or whatever.
November 4, 2011
Loved this book as a kid. Their are beautiful full color illustrations beside ever verse of the poem. The vivid imagery and metaphors in the poem are complimented with the wonderful detail in each picture. It's great for introducing children to poetry too.
If you have not lived in a rural area of Canada or even the Northern US this poem will just be pretty. But if you have then each verse brings up a nostalgic moment in your childhood. Absolutely wonderful for anyone that has lived on the prairies. If you haven't I doubt the humor and imagery will speak to you effectively, but it can still be enjoyed as a piece of art.
If you have not lived in a rural area of Canada or even the Northern US this poem will just be pretty. But if you have then each verse brings up a nostalgic moment in your childhood. Absolutely wonderful for anyone that has lived on the prairies. If you haven't I doubt the humor and imagery will speak to you effectively, but it can still be enjoyed as a piece of art.
December 1, 2011
Having grown up in Iowa and spent much of my adult life in the prairie area of eastern North Dakota and west/central Minnesota this book says "Home" to me. Even with no words the illustrations in this book would still evoke sights, smells, sounds, and touch sensations in my mind that remain a primary part of my constitution today.
December 19, 2020
I'm not from the prairie, but...
...I love and understand this book. If you're not from the prairie you don't know, you truly cannot know the particular feel of those winds that constantly course through the fields, the special warmth of the way the sun penetrates your entire being. So is being from the prairie so exclusive winds only blow on the prairie, sun shines only on prairie fields and prairie folks? Not at all! In a similar sense, I could claim if you're not from the coast of southern California (or if you haven't lived there long enough to catch its spirit), you can't know how the sun specially graces those beaches, how the ocean waves energize your imagination. If you're not from the southwestern desert, you may have seen southwest sunsets photographs, but without basking in their glow, you don't have actual knowledge of them. Maybe you've lived in a certain large city in a certain section of the world? After a while you'll know the spirit and the sense of that city, but you don't know, you cannot really know the sensibilities of another city of similar size the inhabits a different longitude, latitude, its geography and topography. Most likely you've experienced not only different quality of light during different seasons and differing times of day, but the sun does shine differently in different parts of the world, on different landscapes and cityscapes. In other words, one place is not every place.
Author David Bouchard and illustrator Henry Ripplinger both are native to the Canadian heartland, and capture the prairies with gorgeous full-colour, slightly retro illustrations. The book's layout is wide and open, with stair-stepped text and an image vignette on the left side, a large illustration on each right-hand page. At different prices for different sizes, you can buy limited edition prints of the pictures, as well as a "Frameable Art Card" on Hentry Ripplinger's site. You also can discover the title of each painting as well as closely related paintings―maybe that didn't make it into the book this time?
April 9, 2016
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 perfectly - beautiful words and beautiful illustrations!
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 perfectly - beautiful words and beautiful illustrations!
September 28, 2011
Cold, windy, and grassy? These adjectives don’t sound like those for Southern California. Where could it be? The prairies of Canada! Today we learned about the vastness of prairie living with its flat expanses of horizon and infinite sky! This is another wonderful book to teach children about other cultures and ways of living long with exploring the different landscapes of the world!
December 7, 2013
I am from the prairies and VERY VERY proud to be a prairie chicken. This is a thin children's book and while the prose is beautiful, the paintings are INCREDIBLE. I really think it is worth getting from the library. I own this book and it has sat on my coffee table (proudly) since it was first published.
January 10, 2015
Being a Saskatchewan girl, I could appreciate the words and the pictures. I was fortunate to meet David at a previous school I worked at and won this signed copy because I knew the answer to page 20. He is a very nice man and he shared how he wrote his prose and chose different artists for his work.
June 20, 2007
Written very simply but very beautifully, with classic illustrations, it illuminates all those hidden reasons in a prairie-dweller's heart why they really do love the prairies. Very detail-oriented descriptions.
I read this book and it made me want to write poetry.
I read this book and it made me want to write poetry.
March 13, 2012
I love this book - the story within the words as well as the art. This book brings me wonderful recollections of my life, my childhood, and my parents.
Sigh. "If you're not from the prairie" you just won't understand.
Sigh. "If you're not from the prairie" you just won't understand.
August 10, 2012
I have a love for the prairies and I love this book. Bouchard is a very high-energy person whose pasions explode in person and in print. Did a "If you're not from Detroit..." with elementary students. Now that was fun!
May 1, 2014
Children will appreciate the nicely repetitive poem which I can imagine would be pleasant to read aloud. I enjoyed the illustrations which were beautifully done. It's a very attractive book and would make a excellent gift to a child or to anyone who loves the prairie.
February 10, 2016
The repetitive nature of this book makes this an excellent book for working with students. The rhythm of the stanzas is captivating and promotes interest.
February 14, 2017
Ahh, this book hits me right in the heart. Definitely one you appreciate more if you've lived on the prairie. Written in verse, great illustrations, great descriptive writing.
Read
July 28, 2019This is not a good picture book for children, but makes for a decent "coffee table" book for older readers. The poem evokes common themes about the character of prairie people and the prairie landscape. The illustrations are beautiful, although they do not always complement the verse. It evokes nostalgia in the reader.
However, this poem is not necessarily relatable to children. It is unnecessarily defensive and confrontational ("you don't know the sun"; "you can't know me", etc.). It is not silly enough for children to understand not to take it at face value and the confrontational aspect is unnecessary. It is not teaching the child anything, except possibly that prairie people are exclusive. There are better examples of poetry if that is the lesson to be taught.
Also I would not recommend this book for a classroom setting. With an increase in diversity in schools and communities, this book has the potential to turn any lesson about reading, poetry, or geography into an us vs them discussion.
However, this poem is not necessarily relatable to children. It is unnecessarily defensive and confrontational ("you don't know the sun"; "you can't know me", etc.). It is not silly enough for children to understand not to take it at face value and the confrontational aspect is unnecessary. It is not teaching the child anything, except possibly that prairie people are exclusive. There are better examples of poetry if that is the lesson to be taught.
Also I would not recommend this book for a classroom setting. With an increase in diversity in schools and communities, this book has the potential to turn any lesson about reading, poetry, or geography into an us vs them discussion.
March 6, 2024
"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 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.
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 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.
August 29, 2018
This book is easy to relate to for me and is good for anyone from the Midwest. It is about how if people are not from the prairie, they don't truly know somethings. For instance, they wont know the sun, wind, sky, and so on. However, most importantly is the end. The author says that if people aren't from the prairie they will not fully know him, because the prairie is in his soul and has become a part of him. Overall, I loved this book. It was easy to feel connected to what the author was saying. The images where well drawn and were very details. The authors descriptions made you truly visualize what was happening.
May 28, 2022
I absolutely loved the artwork in the book.
What really kind of put me off was the overall negative tone of the book. Like if you’re not from the prairies you don’t know anything as he goes on to explain on every single page. The entire book was a form of gatekeeping.
I don’t know why he the author chose to take a negative overall tone to the book. With such beautiful paintings wouldn’t you want to have a positive overall tone to the book?
What really kind of put me off was the overall negative tone of the book. Like if you’re not from the prairies you don’t know anything as he goes on to explain on every single page. The entire book was a form of gatekeeping.
I don’t know why he the author chose to take a negative overall tone to the book. With such beautiful paintings wouldn’t you want to have a positive overall tone to the book?
August 17, 2019
This is the most beautiful book I've read about the prairies. I moved from Toronto three years ago to work as a teacher, and I've fallen in love with the prairies. Although I didn't grow up here, after three years of living in Alberta, I can totally relate to this wonderful poem. Plus, I've had the immense pleasure to meet the author, David Bouchard.
September 6, 2019
This is a poetry book that talks about what it means to live on the prairie. It is told in a way that starts with "if you're not from the prairie...." to show that life on the prairie is much different than life in any other way. This book did a great job describing what a prairie is like.
June 23, 2018
This is a children’s book that is perfect explaining what it is like living in a rural prairie setting. One of my favorites!
January 4, 2019
Reading the poem is not enough.
You'd have to see the pictures.
It's the home of my heart.
You'd have to see the pictures.
It's the home of my heart.
December 9, 2019
My book- autographed by Illustrator- Henry Ripplinger. Even if you are not from the prairies you are going to love this book. It would make a wonderful gift!
August 21, 2021
The pictures are amazing!
September 14, 2021
Gorgeous illustrations
March 7, 2022
If you are from the prairie, you will cry...
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews