Barbara Bash Libri

The journal features the reflections of writer-illustrator Barbara Bash during her solitary country retreats, blending hand-calligraphed notes with watercolor and pencil illustrations. It captures enchanting moments in nature, such as a dragonfly's pause and encounters with wildlife like deer and skunks. Perfect for nature lovers and gardeners, the book invites readers to share in Bash's contemplative experiences and appreciate the beauty of the natural world through her artistic lens.

In the tradition of Anne Morrow Lindbergh's Gift from the Sea , writer-illustrator Barbara Bash brings a spiritual awareness to her surroundings as she caringly records encounters with animals and plants during solitary walks around the countryside of upstate New York. In this four-color book—designed to look like a one-of-a-kind hand-bound journal—she creates the look and feel of a spontaneously composed diary chronicling her experiences and reflections during a series of solitary retreats. Her handwritten notes and exquisite drawings capture wondrous moments in the natural a dragonfly's brief pause, a surprised deer in tall grass, woodchucks watching her from a distance, a raindrop making its way down a windowpane. Nature lovers, gardeners, and anyone who enjoys walking in the woods will recognize a kindred spirit and find hours of pleasure in these pages.

A venerable saguaro cactus stands like a statue in the hot desert landscape, its armlike branches reaching fifty feet into the air. From a distance it appears to be completely still and solitary--but appearances can be deceptive. In fact, this giant tree of the desert is alive with activity. Its spiny trunk and branches are home to a surprising number of animals, and its flowers and fruit feed many desert dwellers. Gila woodpeckers and miniature elf owls make their homes inside the saguaro's trunk. Long-nosed bats and fluttering white doves drink the nectar from its showy white flowers. People also play a role in the saguaro's story: each year the Tohono O'odham Indians gather its sweet fruit in a centuries-old harvest ritual. In this first volume of Sierra Club Books' Tree Tales series, a simple, easy-to-read text and appealing drawings document the life cycle of this amazing cactus tree and the creatures it helps to support. Readers will come away with a better understanding of and a lasting respect for this accomodating giant of the desert.