Flowers Are Calling

by Rita Gray, Kenard Pak (Illustrator)

Overview

In this rhyming poetic picture book, explore the wonders of natural cooperation between plants, animals and insects. Flowers Are Calling by Rita Gray and illustrated by Kenard Pak is "a sophisticated blend of scientific information and artistry" (Publishers Weekly).

Flowers are calling to all the animals of the forest, "Drink me!"—but it’s the pollinators who feast on their nectar.

In rhyming poetic form and with luminous artwork, this book shows us the marvel of natural cooperation between plants, animals, and insects as they each play their part in the forest's cycle of life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780544340121
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/03/2015
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	320,515
Product dimensions:	7.80(w) x 11.20(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD570L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Rita Gray is the author of several acclaimed picture books for children. Raised in Southern California, she studied Psychology and Social Work in New York City, where she lives today with her family. During this time, along with knowledgeable teachers, artists and therapists, Rita worked with children and their families. She came to understand that a good book "holds an experience for a child, one that can be visited again and again". Visit her website at www.ritagrayreads.com.

Kenard Pak is originally from Howard County, Maryland. He worked as a visual development artist for DreamWorks Animation, Disney Feature Animation, and Laika Studios before he began illustrating picture books, including Have You Heard the Nesting Bird?, The Dinner That Cooked Itself, The Fog, and Cat Wishes. He has also written and illustrated a seasonal series that began with Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn. Kenard lives and works in lovely San Francisco with his wife and cats. You can visit his website at pandagun.com.

Editorial Reviews

02/02/2015
The team behind Have You Heard the Nesting Bird? returns to explore the way flowers seem to “call” to certain pollinator species in order to propagate. Gray’s rhymes use poetic red herrings of a sort to engage readers: “Flowers are calling a desert deer./ No, not a deer! He can’t even get near./ They’re calling a nectar bat to flap over here.” Pak’s digitally altered watercolors capture a wide range of flora and fauna, from delicate Queen Anne’s lace to pale moonflowers that attract moths by night. It’s a sophisticated blend of scientific information and artistry. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Fiona Kenshole, Transatlantic Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Productions. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"Pak's pretty, digitally worked watercolors achieve equilibrium between stylized reduction and naturalistic verisimilitude." —Kirkus "A sophisticated blend of scientific information and artistry." —Publishers Weekly "Beautifully subdued watercolor and digital media illustrations, at times reminiscnet of Jon Klassen's work, will draw readers into the text about symbiotic relationship between flowers and their pollinators." —Booklist —

From the Publisher

2015-01-10
Verse alternates with facts about pollinators, depicted with their preferred flowering plants.Gray establishes a playful pattern: In each of three successive double-page spreads, she pairs a nonpollinating animal and a pollinator. "Flowers are calling a little black bear. / No, not a bear! He doesn't care. // They're calling a butterfly / to dip from the air." Next, an anchoring spread gathers and names the three preceding plants, providing prose nuggets about their pollinators' preferences. Regarding the trumpet honeysuckle, "Hummingbirds use their long tongues to reach the nectar hidden in deep tubular flowers, and hover as they drink." The magnolia garners this revelation: "Beetles have been visiting flowers for more than 100 million years." Verse sections can be uneven. Often lovely couplets—rhyming or near-rhyming—bump up against lines that don't scan well; in one case, the rhyme pairs a plural subject with a singular object: "Flowers are calling a rabbit to stop. / No, not a rabbit! It's not their habit to call a rabbit. / He might grab it! // They're calling a bee fly to visit their spot." Pak's pretty, digitally worked watercolors achieve equilibrium between stylized reduction and naturalistic verisimilitude. Two spreads visit flowers with nighttime pollinators—a nice touch. Concluding prose invites children to examine flowers for elements like pattern, shape and smell, explaining how pollinators utilize these attributes. Although it has some textual flaws, this quiet, introspective work beckons readers to keenly observe. (fact page, website) (Informational picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews