This was so amazing. I love when I pick up a children's nonfiction book and I end up learning so much. I thought this was such an important story to tell. We NEED more stories like this. So many BIPOC people throughout history deserve to finally have their stories told. They are, after all, why we know so much about certain things, in this instance, plants, or why we have certain inventions.

This was just fantastic.

This was a great informational text for kids. My children and I really enjoyed this as part of our homeschool curriculum. It's not a subject that has a lot written on it for kids, so it was nice to come across it. The illustrations were also wonderful which is so important in children's books.

4.5 stars.

Rooting for Plants is a great picture book biography of botanist Charles S. Parker. It's a surprisingly thorough overview of his professional life and covers many of his most impressive accomplishments as a Black pioneer of botany and mycology, and also his time in the military during WWI and his time as an influential teacher. The art style is really vibrant and accessible and helps drive things along (although I wish there had been something to visually indicate the passage of time). It's definitely wordy enough that it's more suitable for older children, but it's a great introduction, and the language flows well too. Definitely recommended!

Thanks to Netgalley and Astra books for the ARC of this Black botanist’s biography!

This was an interesting look and the life of Charles S. Parker, a veteran who wanted to diversify the field of botany and study all the plants and mushrooms that he could. The writing was easy to follow and not too complicated for my 7-year old. The illustration style was interesting. Overall we both learned new things reading it.

For our history/science time today, we read Rooting for Plants. Of course, this is everyone’s favorite way of doing history or science, when we just read a picture book together. In this book, only did we get to learn about an interesting person from the past, we also learned about botany and taxonomy and mycology. 
Charles Parker loved plants all his life. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, he was surrounded by lush greenery everywhere he looked. He wanted to learn all he could about plants and how they grew. World War I interrupted his dreams. He ended up becoming one of the first Black man to lead a company in battle. During the war, he fought for equal rights for the men under him.
After the war, Charles began his investigations into the plant kingdom again. His passion led him to many parts of the United States and Canada, and he worked with many scientists, writing the first descriptions of some species. He even discovered some new species!
The pictures in Rooting for Plants are amazing. Some two page spreads are simply a painting of a scene. Some are made to look like the front page of a newspaper.  They’re full of detail and do very well at helping to tell the story of Charles Parker‘s life. This is another great picture book biography to help children learn about the world around them, and the people who have made a difference in this world.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

I loved this book. I thought it was well written, I was genuinely interested in the life of the scientist, and I loved that there was a glossary in the back as well as the recommendations of looking at other ecologists, botanists, etc who are Black. I think we need more books about this time period (Early 1900s) about Black Excellence. I would read more books styled this way about different topics.

I plan on purchasing this book for my homeschool library.

I was a bit disappointed when I read this. I think Charles Steward Parker could be a fascinating person for young readers to learn about, but I didn't really see this until I was reading the extensive (and interesting) back matter. I think in trying create a book for younger elementary students, Harrington skipped over details that would have actually drawn them in. Recommended for libraries where it meets a curriculum need.

Review based on an eARC received from the publisher.

The nonfiction picture book Rooting for Plants by Janice N. Harrington and illustrated by Theodore Taylor III (Calkins Creek, August 2023) tells the story of, as the subtitle states, “The Unstoppable Charles S. Parker, Black Botanist and Collector.” This unknown-to-me Black scientist provided many insights into plants and fungi over the course of his lifetime, identifying diseases that affected plants in order to help stave off diseases.

Charles Parker grew up well-to-do in Spokane, Washington in the early twentieth century. Because he was well-to-do, he was able to pursue a college education in botany. Although he couldn’t buy a farm as he wanted, his scientific endeavors far exceeded what his farm could have accomplished! Rooting for Plants covers many aspects of Charles Parker’s success, starting with a childhood of curiosity about plants. From Spokane and then Maryland, Parker worked as a professor and “botanized” native plants as he continued his studies. He also traveled to Canada to “botanize” there and helped develop some initial understanding of fungi as one of the first Black mycologists.

The picture book has friendly and clear illustrations, and the font layout nicely complements the illustrations. A few pages have creative layouts that enhance the interest in the picture book. (For example, when it mentions that Charles Parker made the news, the illustrations and text appear to be in a newspaper.) The accounts of his scientific feats are balanced by the details of his life, and his status as one of the first renowned Black scientists in his field is underscored. The final message of this great picture book is that curiosity is what helped Parker and his students make new discoveries and contribute to science. His story encourages everyone to keep asking questions and observing the world around us.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance review copy of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A clear and well-written biography of a new-to-me Black scientist. I especially liked the "Other Black Botanists to Know" section in the back matter. I do wish the author had mentioned in the text that fungi aren't plants -- kids may mistakenly group the two based on Parker's study. I'll definitely add this to my classroom library.

From “brainy boy” in Spokane, Washington, to world-renown mycologist* at Howard University, Charles Stewart Parker led a full and successful life as a botanist, professor, and researcher. Born in 1882, Parker explored and cataloged plants from the Pacific Northwest to the east coast. From his base at Howard University, he traveled to the American South collecting samples. Ever the student, he discovered his speciality of studying mushrooms and fungi during his time at Penn State. He was the first botanist to write a clear, organized description of hypholoma. Through Parker’s eyes and the skillful illustrations of Theodore Taylor III, young readers not only learn the parts of a mushroom, but also have the fungi elevated to something special. In just 32 pages complemented by colorful, varied pictures, author Janice N. Harrington creates a well-rounded, informative biography of a lesser-known scholar who can inspire many budding scientists. Includes glossary, timeline, spotlight of other African-American botanists and mycologists, and extensive bibliography.

This is a lovely graphic novel/biography about a revolutionary Black scientist named Charles Parker, who was a trailblazing botanist for the scientific community. He broke through a lot of barriers, educated other Black STEM students, and even discovered some fungi species which are named after him. This is a lovely book to get introduced to a lesser known STEM figure. It's informative but short and engaging.

Thanks to netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

To learn about scientists has always been my fancies. I honestly never heard of mycologist Charles S. parker and any of his achievements. What I liked about his short biography is that rather than staging a protest he decided to something that gave him name and fame and also paved path for others to follow, but very few get that.
He later worked on educating his black brethrens instead of making them ready to fight on road. He made his work speak not his voice.
One must learn this from his biography and follow the trait.

🌱 I was not aware of Charles S. Parker until I came across this book. I love learning about new things and new people, even if it is from a children’s book.

🌱 Considering the book length, this is a reasonably detailed biography of Parker and his love for plant life. The book goes into detail about his travels, research, collections, and love of botany. It also discusses his desire to share his knowledge with others, particularly black students. This included women as well, in a time when women weren’t prominent in scientific endeavors.

🌱 The book is gorgeously illustrated.

🌱 There is a ton of additional information at the end of the book, including a glossary, more information about Parker’s life including a timeline and photos, information about other black botanists and mycologists, and a selected bibliography if you want more information.

🌱 I think this book would appeal to many readers – those interested in botany, those interested in history and scientists, and those who like learning about new and interesting people.

Thank you @netgalley and Astra Publishing House/Calkins Creek for an eARC of this book, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I have to be honest, I'd never heard of this amazing man before. My daughter has been getting more into nature and the outdoors, and I've been learning about mushrooms and botany so this seemed like the perfect fit. The story follows the life of Charles S Parker -- from his early childhood to becoming a professor of botany and mycology. Not only do you learn about his life, but the wisdom he imparted on his students, and you feel like you're right there learning with them. Great book for older kids (my daughter was 4 and struggled with maintaining attention) but an excellent biography of a lesser-known environmentalist.

This picture book biography is about Charles S. Parker, a Black man who was a trailblazing student, teacher, and scientist who studied botany and mycology. He made significant strides to advance both fields, and he trained and mentored many Black men and women who went on to make a difference as well. The author's note shares more information, and there are also photographs and short bios included about other Black botanists, including some that Parker taught.

This is best for school-age audiences instead of young children, due to the scientific focus and the basic background knowledge required for someone to fully understand and appreciate the story. Also, the book addresses Parker's experiences in World War One and depicts soldiers in early gas masks, which may startle and frighten children.

This will appeal to kids and adults who are interested in Black trailblazers and STEM biographies. This is also a great option for someone who is looking for a Black history story that mentions racial discrimination without the entire story revolving around it.

This picture book biography follows Charles S. Parker, a Black botanist, mycologist and teacher, his passion for plants and the discoveries he made that had a significant impact in his field.

It has very cute illustrations, and has a further reading list at the end that seems interesting. It was very informative, and I would say this is worth reading regardless of age.

I'm glad I got a chance to read it through NetGalley. I wouldn't even have heard of it otherwise.

I really enjoyed this title! Perfect for elementary school readers and very read-aloud-friendly, for a biography. I will definitely be adding a few copies to our shelves

I had never heard about Charles S. Parker prior to this book. I thought it was a great explantion of how he contributed to plants. I think it was very important for readers to see the prejudices and experiences he encountered and how he overcame those difficulties.

I have added this book to my TrueStory Bookshop and recommend it in three categories:
Picture-Book Biographies ~ Gardening
Picture-Book Biographies ~ Scientists
Picture-Book Biographies ~ Black History

https://bookshop.org/shop/KarlinGray

Rooting for Plants was another biography. It taught me about an amazing botanist and collector who kept pushing to educate himself and share his knowledge as a professor. He especially fight to educate Black women.