About the Book

Katie and the Kudzu King is about a little girl from New Jersey who visits her country cousins in Georgia. Leaving the airport, she spies the kudzu vines covering telephone poles, trees, bushes and everything else. The sight scares her because the scene looks like ghosts and grotesque creatures. Her cousins are amused by her fear and tease her, but later help her learn about this extraordinary vine. The book’s theme is that the kudzu covering trees and bushes by southern highways looks startlingly like “monsters” waiting to cross the road, or perhaps to gobble up some unwary traveler. My own children saw many such monsters in the masses of kudzu, and we often played a travel game similar to seeing faces and objects in the clouds. Kudzu (Pueraria lobata) is a vine in the pea family that is ubiquitous in the South. It climbs, coils, spreads rapidly and generally covers everything in its path (telephone poles, bushes and trees and even whole buildings) if left unchecked. Although dormant during winters in the South, come Spring it revives and can grow a foot per day in the summer heat. It is native to southeast China and southern Japan and was brought to the United States in the late 1870’s to use for cattle fodder and also for curbing erosion. Some animals (goats and llamas, for example) like it and other animals won’t touch it. State highway departments in the South planted kudzu as roadside erosion control, but it quickly grew out of hand. Kudzu is almost impossible to eradicate. It can spread by seeds in the pods that form on the vine, or by vine stolons (runners) It is actually a pretty plant with a deep green color and has a beautiful purple flower reminiscent of wisteria. TESTIMONIALS The following are excerpts of testimonials from Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. This has to be one of the most entertaining and accurate childhood stories ever. The imaginative, humorous writing coupled with the fanciful, colorful illustrations make for a wonderful trip through story telling land. Searching for the kudzu people, like animals in cloud formations, is tons of fun. Parents be warned: you’ll be looking at the illustrations long after the children have fallen asleep. What a creative book – for children of any age! It’s a great story, and the illustrations by Donna Bailey are superb. Katie and the Kudzu King can be used to teach map skills, ecology, and regional flora. The colorful illustrations and the poetry engage young readers and listeners. My students love it. This picture book is educational about a subject I have never before seen in print. It is bound to become a favorite read-a-loud for both adults and children.

Reviews

Great read for all ages!

It's sometimes difficult finding stories that are readable and loved written by local authors and this one fit the bill nicely for our school. Join Katie as she learns all about kudzu while visiting cousins in Georgia. This story is told in rhyme and makes a great read aloud for children. The illustrations really bring the story to life and children can use their imaginations to see all kinds of curious creatures in the kudzu vines. You don't have to be from Georgia to appreciate this imaginative story filled with fun facts about an annoying plant.

Wonderful

What a wonderful, imaginative story! Katie sees adventures in the Kudzu like other children see adventures in the clouds. This book is colorful and engaging for children and adults. There is educational value as well as children learn about their environment. I also enjoyed meeting the author who is as warm and entertaining as his stories.

Great story! One of the first books we bought ...

Great story! One of the first books we bought after we moved to Georgia, when the author visited my daughters elementary. We moved mid year, 900 miles from friends, family and everything familiar for the first time ever in her life and this book played a part in getting her interested in exploring the Georgia outdoors. We have come to love our adopted home and it all started with this cute, engaging story about a little girl with a big imagination.

Kudzu King Rules My Heart

Thirty years ago a friend and I made a road trip through the South where I saw kudzu for the first time. Writer Stephen Scott and and Illustrator Donna Bailey describe it perfectly. It is scary; it creates this mood. I had the distinct impression that kudzu could take over the world! This book is charming and beautifully crafted. Scott's poem is clever and literary and just right for children. Bailey's illustrations are delightful and colorful and full of hidden images for children to find. My favorite illustration is on page 21 where kudzu has, at last, taken over the world. This picture book is educational about a subject I have never before seen in print. It is bound to become a favorite read-a-loud for both adults and children.

Katie and the Kudzu King--teaching tool

January 16, 2011Format: PaperbackKatie and the Kudzu King can be used to teach map skills, ecology, and regional flora. The colorful illustrations and the poetry engage young readers and listeners. My students love it.

Love this book!

What a creative book--for children of any age! It's a great story, and the illustrations by Donna K. Bailey are superb

Perfect for Christmas Stocking Stuffer

This should be a 'must give' for all of the kids on your Christmas list. The imaginative, humorous writing coupled with the fanciful, colorful illustrations make for a wonderful trip through story telling land...Elsie Austin, screenwriter and poet.

Fun for everyone

PaperbackThis imaginative book will hold your little ones attention for sure! Searching for the kudzu people, like animals in cloud formations, is tons of fun. The story has a soothing rhyme and an important message about family. Parents be warned: you'll be looking at the illustrations long after the children have fallen asleep!