A Persistent Vine (Botanical Tales: The Maligned Creeper) - Hardcover

Tran, Han; Cheung, Christinia

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0989014002 ISBN 13: 9780989014007

Publisher: Hands-On-Print, 2013

Synopsis

Written in the form of a traditional tale and lavishly illustrated by watercolor artist, Hsiao-Yen Chi, the book is a beguiling story about man's relation to the plant world. It is also a story about invasive species and the fine line between a weed and a botanical treasure. Set in the exquisite culture of Japan's Heian period (a medieval haven for the lover of beauty in both nature and man-made objects), A Persistent Vine explores a couple's poignant attempt to preserve and nurture rare species in the face of the steady and surreptitious encroachment of local morning glory vines.

About this title

About the Author

Han Tran has a doctorate in Classics from UC Berkeley and is currently a lecturer at the University of Miami at Coral Gables. Her area of expertise is in classical and world myth, as well as in ancient religions. She has also previously taught at The Ohio State University and the University of Oregon. A deep interest in distilling knowledge and making it accessible to a young audience has led her to collaborate with Montessori school director, Christinia Cheung. Ms. Cheung directs a Bay Area bilingual school educating children from 3 months of age to 18 years, where she has seen first-hand a vital need for books that both treat subjects in greater depth and that are also designed with the aim of leading children to become more reflective and more aware -- of the world, of the past, and of others. The collaboration between Dr. Tran and Ms. Cheung reflects a belief in the power of storytelling as a way of engaging the mind while encouraging thoughtfulness and personal responsibility.

From the Inside Flap

About the First Set of our Botanical Tales Series: The Maligned Creeper The four stories in our first set, 'The Maligned Creeper', take the reader through four different historical, cultural, and geographical landscapes: 9th c. Japan, 19th c. Madagascar, 18th c. England, and contemporary Maine. We hope that these various vantage points will offer a broader perspective on plants that are often "maligned" as "creepers" and inspire a more complex understanding of the place of plant life in our evolving ecosystem. As with all the stories in the Botanical Tales Series, our goal is ultimately to encourage discussion of how we may evolve with (all) plants mindfully and harmoniously.

Edition details

• Publisher: Hands-On-Print
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0989014002
• ISBN 13: 9780989014007
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Chi Hsiao-yen