Elem. – A Seed Grows

Portis, Antoinette. A Seed Grows. Neal Porter Books. 978-0-8234-4892-0. 32 p. $18.99. Grades K-3. 

This minimalist circle story recounts the life cycle of a sunflower for the youngest scientists. The title page features a bird with a sunflower seed in its beak. The seed falls onto the soil where the sun shines on it, and the rain waters it. It sprouts, breaks through the soil, and continues growing and growing, forming a bud, then a flower. The flower eventually fills with seeds which drop to the ground where a flock of birds finds them, completing the circle. Backmatter includes information about the parts of a seed, the parts of a sunflower plant, and additional information about what seeds need to sprout and thrive. Most double-page spreads feature a few words of text on the left side and a vibrant full-bleed illustration on the opposite page. The bright, oversize illustrations were created using different printmaking techniques, and their uncluttered simplicity reflects the beauty of the seed’s change and growth.

THOUGHTS: This will be a useful addition to primary grade units about flowers and plant life cycles. The beautiful illustrations will grab readers’ attention, and the sparse text will help emergent readers build confidence and reading fluency.

575.6 Plants          Anne Bozievich, Southern York County SD

Elem. – How to Say Hello to a Worm: A First Guide to Outside

Percival, Kari. How to Say Hello to a Worm: A First Guide to Outside. Rise x Penguin Workshop, 2022. 978-0-593-22679-7. $17.99. 40 p. Grades PK-1.

Simple storyline and text with adorable silkscreen collage depict a small group of diverse preschool/early elementary students exploring a garden bed. Together the children ask gentle questions about how to plant seeds, how to make mud, and say hello to a worm. As the tiny plants sprout and grow, the children learn how to support and care for different common fruits and vegetables. Their garden is harvested and enjoyed at the end of this delightful book. Additional information on growing your own garden is included for both kids and grown-ups. 

THOUGHTS: This title is a cute and quick introduction to gardening; plant life cycle; and exploring dirt, insects, seeds, and growing your own food.

635.083 Domestic Gardening          Anne McKernan, Council Rock SD
Picture Book

Elem. – Grow

Macken, JoAnn Early. Grow. Boyds Mill Press, 2021. Unpaged. 978-1-635-92308-7. $17.99. Grades PreK-2.

This charming picture book is all about the wonders of growing up. The story is told in a series of “If you were a…” statements, comparing a child’s development to the life cycles of animals and plants. As a mother and child watch falling acorns, the narrator relates an oak tree growing from a tiny acorn to a small child spreading her roots in the world. Later, a grandfather and his grandsons spot a deer with her fawns running through the woods. Just as a fawn’s first shaky steps develop into a sprint, the wobbly gait of a toddler becomes a confident stride. The delightful illustrations by Coleman are rendered digitally and are the winning elements of the book. For each animal or plant comparison, the child’s clothes take on that appearance. A girl is pictured wearing a green jumper with an orange shirt, mimicking the green shell and orange spots of a turtle, and the acorn watching child wears a beanie that resembles the nut’s cap. On the title page, there is an oak sapling, and on the last page, it has grown into a large tree.

THOUGHTS: While the comparisons in the text are a bit weak at times, the book’s drawings bring them to life. Children will enjoy listening to the story and poring over the details in the pictures. A supplemental purchase.

Picture Book          Denise Medwick, Retired, PSLA Member