Anthony Paul

Plant and Flower Books

Ruth Krauss, author of A Hole Is to Dig, has crafted a story almost Zen-like in its simplicity. A little boy plants a carrot seed and waits patiently, tending to it carefully, while everyone around him insists that "it won't come up." His conviction is steadfast, however, and sure enough, a carrot worthy of first prize at any state fair springs forth from the earth. Krauss's husband, Crockett Johnson (creator of Harold and the Purple Crayon), illustrated The Carrot Seed, and while the little boy is rendered with uncomplicated lines, all of his hope, confidence, and serenity shine through.

Grade 2-4. Sal, a strapping farm girl, thinks it is her size that makes her unable to sew a quilt like her grandmother, but Gran finally convinces her: "It's just that your talent isn't sewing." Sal eventually finds her own ability as she discovers the pleasure of growing sunflowers; by the end of the story, she has made a living quilt of sorts by planting them around the edges of the fields and farmyard.

Kindergarten-Grade 2-- A simple introduction to how plants reproduce, discussing pollination, seed dispersal, and growth from seed to plant. The section on pollination, covered in detail in the illustrations, is very clear. A simple project--how to grow a bean plant--is included. A final page gives odd and unusual facts. Unfortunately, the text is pedestrian and occasionally awkward. The boldly colored illustrations are casual, somewhat careless, and some plants are hard to recognize.

Follow the progress of a little girl and her father as they purchase "a garden" and board the bus to carry it home. The pansies, tulips, daffodils, geraniums, and daisies are lovingly planted in a window box, and the candles on the cake are lighted-just as Mom walks in the door to find her daughter, her husband, and her birthday surprise. Full-color illustrations.

This educational and enjoyable book helps children understand how to plant bulbs, seeds, and seedlings, and nurture their growth. "The stylized representations of flower species are labeled throughout, allowing young children to get an idea of how each flower type contributes to the rainbow effect."-Booklist Full-color illustrations.

Mrs. Spitzer is a wise teacher who knows many things. She knows about gardens. She knows about children. She knows how similar they are, and how both will flourish if tended lovingly. There are many remarkable teachers like Mrs. Spitzer in the world, and Edith Pattou's simple, moving story along with Tricia Tusa's inspired, whimsical illustrations celebrate all they do, year after year, to help our children grow and blossom.

Plant a pumpkinseed with a child, and cultivate wonder. This simple act of reconnecting with children with nature is Sharon Lovejoy's purpose and joy and gift. Author of Sunflower Houses: Garden Discoveries for Children of All Ages and Hollyhock Days: Garden Adventures for the Young at Heart, Sharon Lovejoy is a nationally known garden writer whose books, television specials, and projects at her learning landscape in California have introduced thousands of children to the pleasures of gardening.

Plant a sidewalk-crack garden, grow a broom, and discover bug remedies and composting with the aid of a title which involves kids ages 4 and older and their families in the gardening process. The attention to urban as well as outdoor gardens makes for a lively and fun focus.

PreSchool-Grade 2?A cumulative story that traces a little boy's backyard flower garden from tilling the soil to enjoying the blossoms. The text delightfully catalogs the process in a take-off on the old rhyme "This Is the House That Jack Built." As the garden takes shape, readers see seedlings sprout and bud, flowers open, insects and birds visit and, at last, a lovely garden in full bloom. Each double-page spread is done in soft colored pencils on various colored background. The borders contain detailed labeled drawings of tools, insects, birds, eggs, and, of course, flowers.

Revealing the variety of life underground, the bright comfort of a greenhouse on a winter's day, or the anticipation of starting seeds indoors in early spring, this striking alphabet book celebrates the simple joys of gardening. Without neglecting the frustrations ­ the nibbling critters and the toil ­ or wry, humorous moments spent in the garden.

Richardson creates an unusual approach to gardening, a guide to including children of all ages in the garden. Divided into two main sections, "Including Children in the Gardening Activity" and "Making Gardening Fun for Children," the author provides all the basics of gardening - planning, planting, composting, soil preparation, but shows how to include children in the process, how to interpret and teach, and how to engage them fully and joyfully in the entire process from planting to gathering flowers and eating the vegetables they have helped to grow.

An amazing collection of more than 300 extraordinary experiments and projects with apple seeds, beans, potatoes, fruit pits, vegetables, herbs and everything that grows. Contains a glossary, reading list, full-color, how-to illustrations, and a bonus chapter that lists seed catalogs that kids can obtain from sources in the U.S. and Canada, mostly free. Perfect for home or classroom.

Linnea, a fresh-faced European girl with a mop of black hair and a white smock, gives a solid lesson in art history in the gentlest way, through a first-person account. Her story is like a scrapbook, reliving a trip she took to Paris and Giverny to learn about Monet's water-lily paintings. Airy, light-filled watercolors showing Linnea in Monet's environment are juxtaposed with period photographs of the artist and reproductions of the paintings themselves.

The hottest hobby around is the perfect outdoor activity for kids; the fresh, energetic designs in The Gardening Book will inspire kids to get growing. Learn how to choose plants and give them what they need to grow, use your craft skills to make a scarecrow or funky yet useful flower container and much, much more. Atmospheric photography, helpful cartoon gardening characters, and easy to follow text make The Gardening Book the ideal introduction to the rewarding world of kids' horticulture.

A man working in his garden finds a delicate worm, a beetle in shining armor, and a leaf-green mantis and shares these treasures with his young daughter. "Lovely double-page, impressionistic oil paintings...provide a picturesque setting for this simple, straightforward description of a special parent/child outing."--School Library Journal.

PreSchool-K. Another story about the life cycle of growing things. In this case, mammoth sunflowers, planted in a way that captures the imagination. A young boy plants the seeds in a large circle. He waters them and waits patiently until they grow taller than himself, with huge nodding blossoms that form a perfect "sunflower house." He and two friends play in the "house" all summer, even sleeping in it one night, until the leaves turn brown and the stems fall down. Then they fill their pockets with the seeds, the birds eat some, and the rest are left on the ground to grow again next summer.

Pre School-Grade 2A. In a direct, childlike text, a young narrator describes what happens as a bean sprouts on a wet paper towel and grows in a paper cup until it is transplanted into a large flower pot. Completing the life cycle, the child picks the bean and eats it. Bright, bold, accurate illustrations enhance this first concept book by focusing on the plant's growth. Artfully simple, it is an inviting and accessible introduction to plant growth and scientific observation.