The Big Empty: A Sagebrush Survival Story

“I am the one that grows where nothing else will,” narrates a big sagebrush in this evocative account of making home in the “big empty”—North America’s western shrublands. Poetic lines establish the barren quality of the environment, but just as the hardy plant calls this place “home,” so too does it represent a dwelling place for the many critters who rely upon the flora for shelter, nourishment, and cover. As such, the big sagebrush becomes “a thirsty mother’s only hope,” and “a nursery/ under the wide Western sky.” Featuring pastel, colored pencil, collage paper, and digital techniques, Fagan’s moody, dusky-hued illustrations showcase species (identified in back matter) interacting with the plant’s densely twisted limbs. Danger arrives in the form of fire, but the speaker demonstrates resilience, and closing verse offers a commanding summary: “In a land of sun and fire/ I am life.” Ages 5–10. (Oct.)