The North American Prairie

By Stephen Jones and Ruth Carol Cushman

The North American Prairie (Houghton Mifflin, $20), part of the Peterson Field Guides series, offers itself up as “a guide for a prairie odyssey.” Profiling the 48 “best examples of native prairies open to the public,” the book highlights each prairie’s characteristic wildlife and includes practical information for visitors. More than 250 photographs convey the prairies’ often austere beauty.

— Teresa Duran