Summer is a great time to read and learn about seeds and planting! There are some wonderful picture books out there that may inspire you and your child to start your own backyard garden...Preschool-2nd grade
THE CARROT SEED
, by Ruth Krauss - illustrations by Crockett Johnson. Children will love the simple drawings in this story about a little boy who not only plants a seed, but tends it carefully and waits patiently - even though everyone tells him, "it won't come up".ONE BEAN
, by Ann Rockwell - illustrations by Meghan Halsey. You'll want to try some of the activities at the end of this book! A look at exactly what happens to a bean as it sprouts on a wet paper towel - bright and accurate illustrations make learning about plant cycles interesting for even young children.FROM SEED TO PUMPKIN
, by Wendy Pfeffer - illustrations by James Graham Hale. Sweet watercolor-and-pencil illustrations of children planting and taking care of their pumpkins. Some simple recipes and experiments are included.A FRUIT IS A SUITCASE FOR SEEDS
, by Jean Richards - illustrations by Anca Hariton. Fun introduction to seeds, with nice watercolor pictures.Kindergarten-3rd grade
THE LADY AND THE SPIDER
, by Faith McNulty - illustrations by Bob Marstall. Spiders are NOT among my favorite things, but I couldn't resist this serene story of a lady and the green spider that lives in her lettuce patch. Learning about what goes on in a spider's daily life will help young ones (and moms), who might be squeamish about these eight-legged creatures, appreciate, instead of fear them!A WEED IS A FLOWER: THE LIFE OF GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER
, by Aliki.George Washington Carver learned about plants by taking care of other people's gardens. This man, who devoted his life to helping the south improve its agriculture, was born to slave parents and didn't go to college until he was 30 years old!
ALL IN A DAY
, by Cynthia Rylant - illustrations by Nikki McClure. The black and white paper art cut-outs by Nikki McClure, on alternating pastel blue and yellow backgrounds, are a beautiful pairing with the quiet poetic text, written by Cynthia Rylant, about a day in the life of a boy on a farm. He not only waters his garden and gathers eggs, but picnics and naps with his pet hen.
and the illustrations are by Brian Wildsmith. He is certainly one of the greatest living children's illustrators today. His first book 
, for which he was awarded the Kate Greenway Medal (Britain's equal to our Caldecott Medal), was published in 1962.
and it's about a young boy who lives next door to a retirement home. His favorite person there is Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper (notice - she has four names too!) She happens to be 96 years old and has lost her memory. As the story unfolds, Wilfrid, after asking the old folks what a "memory" is, ponders the responses and is able to help Miss Nancy find hers. This sweet and quirky tale presents the nature of memory in a way that young children can understand. The fun illustrations go perfectly with the text. Written by Mem Fox, illustrated by Julie Vivas (for ages 4-8).
by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock and Helen Kinsey, illustrations by Ted Rand (for ages 4-8). Set in 1783, this story is about a three-year-old pioneer girl, Sarah, who wanders into the forest and disappears. Friends and neighbors search in vain for four days. She is finally discovered beneath a pine tree and she tells her rescuers about "a big black dog" that kept her safe and warm each night. (But the bear tracks left in a circle around her reveal what really took place!) A dramatic tale of protection and comfort, based on a true story. The illustrations of the dark forest, done in a beautiful grey-green palette help set the mood.
, written by Libba Moore Gray, illustrated by Jad Rowland. (ages 4-8) Like the first book I mentioned, this one also deals gently with interactions between the old and young. "Miss Tizzy always wore a purple hat with a white flower in it and high-top green tennis shoes...her house was pink and sat like a fat blossom in the middle of a street with white houses, white fences, and very neat flower gardens. Miss Tizzy had no fence at all but she had flowers that grew everywhere and spilled over onto the sidewalk." Like her flowers, Miss Tizzy's love spills over to all the children in her multi-ethnic neighborhood. Near the end of the story, Miss Tizzy, who is a slightly elderly and eccentric black woman, falls ill and must go to bed. The children know just what to do to make her feel loved.
and is the story of the author's childhood memories of the anticipated arrival of a new sibling. Tommy wants a sister. What I love about this story is not only the way that little Tommy helps his parents get ready for the new baby, but also the relationship that develops between him and his strict Italian grandmother, "Nana", who comes to stay while his mom is at the hospital.
is the story of a boy who is named Bobby after his best friend - his grandfather, Bob. The grandfather teaches his grandson to walk by telling him, "now one foot, now the other". And then, not long after Bobby's fifth birthday, the grandfather suffers a stroke. Bobby believes his grandfather will get well and eventually helps him to walk again - "now one foot, now the other."
, which is again, based on memories of the author's childhood. This time, he recalls visits on Sundays to his grandmother's and great-grandmother's house. His grandmother always seemed to be downstairs by the kitchen stove and his great-grandmother was "always in bed upstairs because she was ninety-four years old". One morning Tommy's mother tells him that "Nana Upstairs died last night...but she will come back in your memory whenever you think about her." A very graceful treatment of a difficult subject. Anyone who grew up with a precious grandparent in their life will adore this book!
retold by John Langstaff, pictures by Feodor Rojankovsky.
