Category: Plants

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#Nonfiction Monday Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood

Time to get inspired by the nonfiction picture book Harlem Grown: How One Big Idea Transformed a Neighborhood by Tony Hillery and illustrated by Jessie Hartland.

When Mr. Tony (Tony Hillery) spotted an abandoned lot across from a school in Harlem, he had an idea. Getting help from the community, he cleaned it up and invited children to help him plant a garden. Through trial and error a farm emerged.

The colors in Jessie Hartland’s illustrations reflect the journey of the story. The first few pages capture the gray mood of the abandoned lot. As things  turn around, the background colors move through shades of green to a lively and vibrant mix. Lovely!

The benefits of gardening with children are many. From getting outside for healthy exercise, to learning patience, to appreciating the taste of fresh vegetables, gardening is a win-win-win activity. Harlem Grown is about making it happen. Share a copy today and you will be glad you did.

Related suggestions:

Although designed to accompany another book, the delightful art-based activities in this video would be fun to accompany any gardening project.

See our growing list of books for gardening with children at Science Books for Kids.

Finally, we have a bunch of gardening ideas on our Pinterest Board.

 

Reading age ‏ : ‎ 4 – 8 years
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books; Illustrated edition (August 18, 2020)
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1534402314
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1534402317

Disclosure: The book was provided by my local library. Also, I am an affiliate with Amazon so I can provide you with cover images and links to more information about books and products. As you probably are aware, if you click through the highlighted title link and purchase a product, I will receive a very small commission, at no extra cost to you. Any proceeds help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this website.

Looking for more children’s nonfiction books? Try the Nonfiction Monday blog.

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#Nonfiction Monday Plants on the Move

Let’s take look at the new picture book, Plants on the Move by Émilie Vast, translated by Julie Cormier.

There are many children’s books about plant and seed movement, but this one is certainly unique. In a lot of ways it is from a plant’s viewpoint.

As the blurb on the back says:

Have you ever bent down to take a closer look, perhaps thinking that we don’t ever go anywhere? But we plants might surprise you. We’re more adventurous than you think…

The text is well-organized and informative. Émilie Vast  categorizes the ways plants disperse into broad groups, like “Fly”, “Creep”, “Fall”, etc. For each group she gives step-by-step details of an example plant’s journey and life cycle. Once the pattern is established, then she provides  a cluster of images of other species that use the same dispersal method, which helps young readers apply what they’ve learned.

The Illustrations are otherworldly and mesmerizing. They are crisp and clean images against a starkly contrasting white background. If you want to see –and you really should — go to  Google Books for a preview.

Plants on the Move is a fantastic resource. It is perfect for budding botanists, young gardeners and nature lovers. Pop open a copy today!

Related:

1. Try the seed dispersal activity suggestions at Growing with Science blog.

2. Read more books from our growing list of children’s books about seeds at Science Books for Kids.

 

 

Reading age : 5 – 8 years
Publisher : Charlesbridge (May 25, 2021)
ISBN-10 : 1623541484
ISBN-13 : 978-1623541484

Disclosure: The book was provided by the publisher for review purposes. Also, I am an affiliate with Amazon so I can provide you with cover images and links to more information about books and products. As you probably are aware, if you click through the highlighted title link and purchase a product, I will receive a very small commission, at no extra cost to you. Any proceeds help defray the costs of hosting and maintaining this website.

Looking for more children’s nonfiction books? Try the Nonfiction Monday blog.

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Spring Shopping

Have you heard about the Spring Fling Kidlit Contest? To participate, find a gif for inspiration, write a kidlit story up to 150 words, and submit by tomorrow, April 9, 2020.

I was inspired to write a (sort of) mask poem after reading a post at Buffy Silverman’s blog. A mask poem is from the point of view of an animal (or plant).

 

Poppy Spring GIF by audreyobscura via GIPHY

Spring Shopping

On a warm spring day
New plants
Swing in the breeze
A waiting dance

A honey bee sees
Silky orange flower petals
A cup-shaped sign,
“I have food for you.”

The poppy feels
the feet of the bee
A friend carrying pollen dust
To swap for sweet nectar.

They exchange
A brief encounter.

The bee flies away
To share the bounty
With its sisters
To feed the baby bees.

The poppy quietly
begins to make its own little ones
In slender sword-shaped pods
Seeds for next spring.

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#kidlit Nobody Hugs a Cactus, A Way to Talk About Distancing

cactus flowers

Want an adorable picture book the “pokes” a little fun at prickly characters while at the same time being a cute way to introduce the idea of distancing? Then look no further than Nobody Hugs a Cactus* by Carter Goodrich.


(*Amazon affiliate link)

Hank the Cactus sits all alone in his pot on a windowsill and that’s the way he likes it. Whenever someone tries to visit him, he ignores them. Sometimes he even yells at his neighbors, tortoise and jack rabbit. Over time, Hank realizes his lifestyle is making him lonely. Will he ever find a friend?

Carter Goodrich is an illustrator who is known for his covers on The New Yorker, so it is not surprising that it is the art that strikes you first when you open the book. The colors capture the brilliant light of the desert Southwest. Plus, Hank’s expressions range from silly to enchanting.

To gush about the illustrations, however, is not a knock to the text. The story is concise, yet lyrical enough for reading aloud. Kids are going to love the light humor.

In addition to being an introduction to social skills, Nobody Hugs a Cactus would be appropriate to accompany a unit on deserts.  Get a warm, fuzzy feeling from a copy today!

Age Range: 4 – 8 years
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (April 16, 2019)
ISBN-10: 1534400907
ISBN-13: 978-1534400900

Looking for more children’s books about deserts? Try our growing list at Science Books for Kids.