Plant Secrets

by Emily Goodman, Phyllis Limbacher Tildes (Illustrator)

Overview

Young scientists will love this nature mystery that reveals the secrets hiding in seeds, plants, flowers, and fruits throughout the life cycle of various flora. Curiosity will bloom in this introduction to botany and primary nature science.

Plants come in all shapes and sizes, but they go through the same stages as they grow. Using four common plants, young readers learn about plant structure and life cycle. Simple text and colorful, detailed illustrations show the major phases of plant growth with each stage holding a “secret” for curious readers to guess.  Back matter offers more information on each plant, as well as greater detail on each stage of growth.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781580892056
Publisher:	Charlesbridge
Publication date:	02/01/2009
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	181,479
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Emily Goodman, a trained horticulturist, has written for many children's magazines, including Highlights and Apple Seeds. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Editorial Reviews

Seeds, plants, flowers, fruit. Did you know all of these have secrets? Shown a selection of seeds readers are told, "But all of these seeds have a secret." A turn of the page and the secret is revealed: "Hidden inside each seed is a tiny new plant." The next sections similarly cover plants, then flowers and fruit. Although a variety of plant materials are shown, the focus throughout narrows to pea, tomato, oak, and rose. Employing a repetitive secret-sharing theme, this very simple introduction to botany combines brief, succinct text with attractive, detailed gouche illustrations. By not specifically identifying which plant, seed or flower is which among the four profiled varieties, readers are given the opportunity to make their own educated guesses. After the last delicious secret is revealed—that seeds are hidden inside each fruit—a more detailed afterword provides additional information about the four types of plants that were covered. Brief enough to appeal even to toddlers, this excellent effort also includes sufficient information to entertain and instruct young grade-schoolers.

—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

K-Gr 2

Children will look at plants with new eyes after reading this fresh introduction. The plant cycle is introduced, beginning and ending with seeds. After a short description of the many variations of a particular stage, the next page states, "But all these [plants, flowers, fruits, etc.] have a SECRET." Readers are asked if they can identify four key plants (peas, oak trees, tomatoes, roses) at each transition. Using recognizable descriptions, e.g., "round, like plates" or "like balls of fuzz" and getting no more scientific than "pollen," the text will draw readers into the wonder of the topic. Bold color-coded headings introduce each of the four stages. Realistic spot illustrations, beginning with the endpapers, present the variety described in the text. Only the closing endpapers include labels but identification of the other plants, both common and unusual, could be part of the fun. At each transition, the four key plants are framed by the lens of a magnifying glass. End matter includes further detail about each stage and the plant that represents it, e.g., peas for seeds, oak trees for plants, roses for flowers, and tomatoes for fruit. Use this well-designed volume as a the perfect launch to a unit on plants.-Carol S. Surges, McKinley Elementary School, Wauwatosa, WI

School Library Journal

Seeds, plants, flowers, fruit. Did you know all of these have secrets? Shown a selection of seeds, readers are told, "But all of these seeds have a secret." A turn of the page and the secret is revealed: "Hidden inside each seed is a tiny new plant." The next sections similarly cover plants, then flowers and fruit. Although a variety of plant materials are shown, the focus throughout narrows to pea, tomato, oak and rose. Employing a repetitive secret-sharing theme, this very simple introduction to botany combines brief, succinct text with attractive, detailed gouache illustrations. By not specifically identifying which plant, seed or flower is which among the four profiled varieties, readers are given the opportunity to make their own educated guesses. After the last delicious secret is revealed-that seeds are hidden inside each fruit-a more detailed afterword provides additional information about the four types of plants that were covered. Brief enough to appeal even to toddlers, this excellent effort also includes sufficient information to entertain and instruct young grade-schoolers. (Informational picture book. 3-10)

Kirkus Reviews