Cactus Queen: Minerva Hoyt Establishes Joshua Tree National Park
by Lori Alexander; illus. by Jenn Ely
Primary    Calkins/Astra    40 pp.
3/24    9781662680212    $18.99
e-book ed.  9781662680229    $11.99

This picture-book biography introduces young readers to the conservation efforts of Hoyt, focusing mainly on her life after the death of her husband in 1918. Newly married in 1897, they had moved to Pasadena, California, where it was only a matter of time before she fell in love with the Mojave Desert. She was particularly interested in Joshua trees, which are not trees at all but rather the largest member of the yucca plant family. By 1933, the Joshua trees and their habitat were threatened by carelessness (people cut them down for wood), and Hoyt hatched a plan to designate the area as a national park, preserving this unique ecosystem. It was a hard sell, but she—and the activists she inspired—were ultimately successful. “No one who heard her talk could ever again regard the subject of conservation of desert flora with indifference,” said a fellow environmentalist. Ely’s cozy gouache illustrations (double-page spreads, single-page drawings, and spot art) depict both Hoyt’s plucky spirit and the majesty of the high desert landscape. More information about Hoyt and Joshua Tree National Park, along with tips for environmental activists, photographs, an author’s note, and a select bibliography, are appended.

From the January/February 2024 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.