Kathy-jo Wargin - B Is for Badger: a Wisconsin Alphabet

The intriguing facts and faces, history and places of Wisconsin are revealed to readers young and old in B is for Badger: A Wisconsin Alphabet.

From its leaders in fine arts and architecture (Georgia OKeeffe and Frank Lloyd Wright) to its pioneers in nature conservation (John Muir and Aldo Leopold), Wisconsin has been an influence on major movements in education, industry, and use of natural resources. In this guided A-Z tour, beginning readers will enjoy simple rhymes while older children discover facts about each topic letter in the sidebar expository.

B is for Badger:
Our nickname was found
when hardworking miners
made homes in the ground.

Author Kathy-jo Wargins entertaining poems and informative text are perfectly complemented by lush, original artwork from artist Rene Graef. B is for Badger showcases for natives and visitors alike the splendors of Wisconsin.

A Wisconsin Alphabet

Written by Kathy-jo Wargin and Illustrated by Rene Graef

To all Warden and Nelson relatives in Wisconsin, descendents of my
great-grandfather Frank Warden from Monroe, Wisconsin.

KATHY-JO

To Wisconsin Public Radio, a true Wisconsin and national treasure.

RENE

The American Water Spaniel was adopted as the official state dog of Wisconsin in 1985. As the only dog native to Wisconsin, it is believed to be one of only five dogs native to the United States. The breed came to be when waterfowl hunters developed a hunting dog with a warm, thick coat that could fit easily into a small boat and stay warm during hunting adventures. Not only is the American Water Spaniel a good hunting dog, its small size and easygoing temperament make it a wonderful family pet as well.

A is also for the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, a group of 21 islands that form a federal preserve area on the northwestern Bayfield Peninsula. Rich in history and natural beauty, the islands are a wonderful place to visit, but can only be reached by boat.

A is American Water Spaniel riding in a boat.

This native of Wisconsin has a warm and curly coat.

The badger was adopted as the official state animal of Wisconsin in 1957. Wisconsin earned the nickname The Badger State in the early 1800s when miners were so busy mining for lead that they used abandoned mine shafts for homes, or carved dens into the hillsides, much like the burrowing animal, the badger. Over time, the term badger became a nickname for the people of Wisconsin, and eventually people began to call Wisconsin The Badger State.

B is for BadgerOur nickname was found when hardworking miners made homes in the ground.

The North American cranberry, or Vaccinium macrocarpon, is a low-growing woody perennial plant with small ovate leaves, and is Wisconsins top fruit crop. Producing more than 300 million pounds of cranberries each year, Wisconsin is the leading producer of cranberries in the United States. Harvest typically takes place in September and October. A wet harvest is when the beds where cranberries grow are flooded and cranberries float to the surface where they can be scooped up. A dry harvest is when the fruit is pulled from its vines using a special machine. In 1860 Edward Sacket began cultivating cranberries near Berlin, Wisconsin. Today there are more than 200 cranberry marshes in 18 Wisconsin counties.

C is for Cranberries floating on top.

We harvest the most of this lovely red crop.

The dairy cow is Wisconsins state domesticated animal. Wisconsin has long been referred to as Americas Dairyland because it produces more milk than any other state. In addition it is the leading producer of cheese in the nation and was the first state to produce two popular cheeses: Colby and Brick. Its not surprising that milk is Wisconsins state beverage!

D is also for beautiful Door County with its state parks, lighthouses, and miles and miles of shoreline.

And D is for Dairy cow grazing afar.

Americas Dairyland is what we are.

Moo! Moo! I like milk, do you?

Wisconsin has many effigy sites. An effigy is a mound made by Native Americans long ago, most often in the shape of animals or other geometric emblems. They were created using soil, and most of them date back more than one thousand years. Many of them served as ancient burial sites for the Mississippian and Woodland cultures that lived in Wisconsin long ago.

E is for the EffigyIts a pretty mound thats shaped just like an animal and made upon the ground.

Frank Lloyd Wright was born in Richland Center in 1867, and is known as one of the worlds most influential architects of all time. His belief form and function are one inspired many noted buildings, including his Spring Green home called Taliesin, the Larkin Company Administration Building in Buffalo, New York, and the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. Frank Lloyd Wright died at age 92 in the year 1959. He designed approximately 1,000 structures, nearly 400 of which were built.

And F is for a famous man, his name is Frank Lloyd Wright.

Designer of a Prairie Style, his buildings look just right!

Wisconsins state mineral is galena, otherwise known as lead. The proposal to adopt galena as the state mineral was initiated by the Kenosha Gem and Mineral Society, because galena was the mineral to first attract miners and settlers to Wisconsin.

Georgia OKeeffe was born on November 15, 1887, on a farm in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. She loved and practiced art as a young child, and went on to study at the Art Institute of Chicago from 1905 to 1906, and then went to the Art Students League in New York from 1907 to 1908. From that time on she spent her time either studying or teaching at many different schools, until the spring of 1918 when photographer Alfred Stieglitz offered her a chance to paint in New York for one year. In 1924 Stieglitz and OKeeffe were married, living and working together in New York. Some of Georgia OKeeffes most noted and recognized pictures are large-scale depictions of flowers, and scenes from New Mexico. She died in 1986 at the age of 98.

Galena starts with letter G.

This mineral we all know attracted settlers to our state so many years ago.