What Kinda Cactus Izzat?: A "who's who" of strange plants in the southwestern American desert

by Reg Manning

What Kinda Cactus Izzat?: A "Who's Who" Of Strange Plants In The Southwestern American Reg What Kinda Cactus Izzat?: A "Who's Who" Of Strange Plants In The Southwestern American Reganson Cartoon FIRST First Edition Thus, Thirty First Printing (January 1981). Published by Reganson Cartoon Books, 1969. Octavo. Paperback. Book is very good with shelfwear and spotting to page ends. Seller 346118 Science & Nature

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Nature

256 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1941

Reviews

[Dee (in the Desert) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A super cute cartoon book that's actually quite informative about desert flora & should be required reading for all desert dwellers with many pages on the Saguaro. The first copy-write date in this book is 1941, so it's quite the old gem.

[Emmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really cute book of the various types of cactus you might encounter in the American desert. Manning's illustrations were totally charming and I enjoyed learning about a part of the country that I've never actually been to.

[Mortisha Cassavetes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book about Cacti reminds me of a 1970's Out West Vacation. I really enjoyed it. Lots of interesting information about cactus with fun & humorous illustrations. I learned a lot about what is living out in the desert. I would recommend this book to everyone.

[Julie Bihn]

The U. S.-Mexican border is one region which should never have to worry about an invasion by parachutists. It would be hard to choose a territory in the world less suited for haphazard dropping in on. North of the border, from Texas to California, is the cactus belt of the United States, where nearly every native plant, even the lily, comes armed with needles, knives, or swords. South of the border is the same, only more so.

I saw this book at the Arizona Railway Museum's book sale, and the first page hooked me (no pun intended?). There's a lot of light humor, though I think only a few parts live up to the delight of the first page. It's surprisingly educational. It also might have been funnier taken in smaller bits rather than trying to read it straight through over a few days.

It was first published in 1941. My 28th printing from May 1977 has a few cartoon images of Native Americans that I'm pretty sure were meant to be respectful, though I'm not sure if they hold up to modern scrutiny/criticism. But there's definitely a word for African American children that is now considered so offensive, I actually don't remember seeing in print before.

[Elsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. An entertaining and informative look at the native plants of the Sonoran Desert.

Please note: the cartoon format appeals to children, but the 1950s edition I read includes the word "pickaninny." The book was in print as recently as 2011, but I don't know if that part of the text has been edited.

[Ron Halcrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun book! It is essentially a book that teaches you about plants in the American south-west, primarily cacti. But it is written and illustrated by a talented cartoonist. It is amusing, interesting and informative.

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the way the author described the flora of the American Southwest desert. The illustrations are hillarious. I've learned a bit of the horticulture so next time I'm in Arizona (usually annually) I will take note of which type of cacti or other plant I am observing.

[Michael Medlen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Found in a local thrift store. Interesting for botanical enthusiasts, but a little outdated....

[Patti Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting little book describing the differences between cacti and other desert plants. How one might differentiate the various species.

[Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent, through descriptions of all the southwest's desert plants, including non-cactus sticky things. it'd benefit from color pictures (not cheap at the time of publishing) and maybe a bit more about the non-spiny desert plants, like the trees and shrubs. but, after all, that's what i want, not what the book was written for. the candor and colloquialism is charming, i suppose, but often it can grate on you. yes, reg, you don't like scientific latin names. got it. no need to belabor the point. also, the down-home phraseology gets to be a bit much. other than that though, this thing is great. despite its age, we used it to identify literally every kind of cactus we saw in the southwest. great illustrations too.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

This should have been the first book I read when I arrived. Super amusing, great identification tips and fantastic cartoons. Again, some dated information, but the majority if it was great. If I lived here (not in a trailer), I would want this in my personal library.