The Big Empty
A Sagebrush Survival Story
People passing by call this land the big empty. / But I call it home.
In spare, poetic text written from the point of view of big sagebrush, readers are transported to the vast landscape of western North America. This incredibly resilient plant, which can live as long as one hundred years, provides food and shelter as well as shadows to conceal both predators and prey. After a wildfire passes through, it grows again and will thrive once more. Author and illustrator Kirbi Fagan captures the beauty of this essential plant in her lyrical words and richly detailed illustrations.
| Format | Your Price | Add |
|---|---|---|
|
979-8-7656-2724-2
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$19.99 | |
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979-8-7656-8249-4
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$24.99 |
| Interest Level | Kindergarten - Grade 4 |
|---|---|
| Reading Level | Grade 2 |
| Genre | Picture Books, Science |
| Category | Reading/Language Arts |
| Copyright | 2025 |
| Publisher | Lerner Publishing Group |
| Imprint | Millbrook Press ™ |
| Language | English |
| Number of Pages | 32 |
| Publication Date | 2025-10-07 |
Author, Illustrator: Kirbi Fagan
Kirbi Fagan is a Michigan New York Best Selling illustrator. Her work includes the picture book The Summer of the Tree Army by Gloria Whelan (2021), We Are the Scrappy Ones (2025), as well as cover art in adult, YA, middle-grade, and comic books. Kirbi is driven to create books for readers like her. When she was growing up, arts and crafts were her lifeline as a way to cope with ongoing illness. Kirbi is traditionally trained as an oil painter, earning her bachelor’s degree in Illustration from Kendall College of Art and Design.
Lerner eSource™ offers free digital teaching and learning resources, including Common Core State Standards (CCSS) teaching guides. These guides, created by classroom teachers, offer short lessons and writing exercises that give students specific instruction and practice using Common Core skills and strategies. Lerner eSource also provides additional resources including online activities, downloadable/printable graphic organizers, and additional educational materials that would also support Common Core instruction. Download, share, pin, print, and save as many of these free resources as you like!
The Big Empty
People passing by call this land the big empty. / But I call it home. In spare, poetic text written from the point of view of big sagebrush, readers are transported to the vast landscape of western North America. This incredibly resilient plant, which can View available downloads →
Awards
- School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
Reviews
Kirkus Reviews
“The words read aloud smoothly, and the images will show well, making Kirby’s auspicious authorial debut a good choice for small-group sharing. A dramatic depiction of an unusual ecosystem.”—Kirkus Reviews
Publishers Weekly
“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. . . 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."—Publishers Weekly
Booklist
“Attractive fare for young fans of natural history.”—Booklist
School Library Journal
“With its lilting text and gorgeous artwork, this is the rare book that amplifies the ferocity and the necessity of fire in nature, employing the ecology of the sagebrush.”—starred, School Library Journal