A great incentive to get down and dirty with ordinary garden soil and seeds, this fresh, sweet book will spark enthusiasm...
A Swedish import via Germany with an unmistakable Scandinavian ethic, this charming guide to gardening for young children is described in the introduction as “not a book for grown-ups.”
Stuffed with inventive gardening tips, plant-related crafts, and advice, the book is geared toward practical kids with inquisitive minds. Projects include making “Head Pots” (draw faces on the pots and plant seeds in them to make “hair”); planting sunflowers and harvesting the seeds to make bird food; planting beans and then making a tic-tac-toe game with them; and best of all, planting rabbit poops to find out what the rabbit ate! (But remember to wash your hands thoroughly afterward.) There are also recipes: garlic and cheese made from strained yogurt combined with garlic cloves that have sprouted in the fridge; potatoes, tomatoes, and edible flowers and fruit. Each activity or recipe is clearly described in a numbered sequence of kid-friendly, accurate drawings, followed by an attractive full-page photo showing the finished result. North American readers will need to know metric units of measure and accept that a few plants will be unfamiliar, such as the European stinging nettle.
A great incentive to get down and dirty with ordinary garden soil and seeds, this fresh, sweet book will spark enthusiasm for gardening in even the most urban kids . (Nonfiction. 6-10)Pub Date: April 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-3-89955-747-3
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Little Gestalten
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2016
Trisha is ready to start at a new school, where no one will know she has dyslexia. At first, she is heartbroken to be in Miss Peterson’s special-ed class, aka, “the junkyard.” But Miss Peterson treats the children as anything but junk, showing them that everyone has a unique talent. Polacco’s trademark style is fully present here; her sensitively drawn alter ego shines with depth of feeling. When bullying occurs, Miss Peterson proves her students are worthwhile by planning a junkyard field trip, where they find valuable objects to be used in exciting ways. Trisha’s group repairs a plane, and the class buys an engine for it. Then a beloved class member dies, and the children must find a way to honor him. While the plot meanders somewhat, the characters are appealing, believable and provide a fine portrayal of a truly special class. Children will be drawn in by the story’s warmth and gentle humor and will leave with a spark of inspiration, an appreciation of individual differences and a firm anti-bullying message, all underscored by the author’s note that concludes the book. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-399-25078-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
Best for readers who have clearly indicated they would like to take their writing efforts to the next level.
A young white girl writes and illustrates a story, which is critiqued by the narrator as it is created.
The girl begins her story by drawing a Hero. Then she thinks maybe a Heroine would be better. Then she decides both will work. She places them in “a good town, filled with good people, called our Setting.” The narrator, an unseen editor who lurks over the artist’s shoulder, tells the storyteller she needs to put in some Conflict, make the Evil Overlord scarier, and give it better action. This tongue-in-cheek way of delivering the rules of creative writing is clever, and paired with Le Huche’s earnest, childlike illustrations, it seems to be aimed at giving helpful direction to aspiring young creators (although the illustrations are not critiqued). But the question needs to be asked: do very young writers really need to know the rules of writing as determined by adults? While the story appears to be about helping young readers learn writing—there is “A Friendly List of Words Used in this Book” at the end with such words as “protagonist” and “antagonist” (glossed as “Hero and Heroine” and “Evil Overlord,” respectively)—it also has a decidedly unhelpful whiff of judgment. Rules, the text seems to say, must be followed for the story to be a Good one. Ouch.
Best for readers who have clearly indicated they would like to take their writing efforts to the next level. (Picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-2935-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
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