Gramelda the Grasshopper is the story of a grasshoppper's journey through her life. Meet Gramelda, a freshly emerged tiny nymph from her underground egg. Witness her grow not only physically, but in character too, as she transforms into an adult. Gramelda is ultimately faced with a tough decision that causes her to bravely leave her beloved home of the tallgrass prairie in northern Missouri to find a new home. On her journey she learns many new things, makes new friends, faces difficult challenges, and overcomes danger. Gramelda experiences the heartache of loss, and discovers the amazing blessing of true love and friendship. Her strength and bond with an unlikely friend will leave the legacy of a new kind of grasshopper, the lichen grasshopper. The story is elegantly illustrated using a techniques similar to a vintage style of botanical drawing that relies heavily on stippling for shading and detail while preserving light areas. Although the story itself is whimisical, it is founded on sound information about animals and plants found historically within two ecosystems of Missouri: the Tallgrass Prairie and the Glade. Learn about animal life cycles, habitat, and the web of life through reading the story, then find out more about these ecosystems and explore their plant and animal life using the educational material at the end of the book. Included are a glossary of terms, thought-provoking experiments, observational exercises, as well as instructional drawing and coloring pages.