Fiction Books

Seedfolks (Joanna Colter Books)

Paul Fleischman

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Subjects -> Children's Books -> Authors & Illustrators, A-Z -> ( F ) -> Fleischman, Paul

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 91 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Good Stories, but Too Disconnected 3 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

It all started with one little girl. Kim's father died before she was even born, and she is afraid that he might not know her as he looks down from heaven. So she decides to do something to make him recognize her and to make him proud. He was a farmer back in Vietnam, so she takes a handful of bean seeds to a trash-covered vacant lot near her inner-city apartment and plants them. When he looks down and sees them, he will know she is his daughter.

Someone looks down from a window and is intrigued by this girl who keeps visiting the vacant lot in secret. Upon investigation she sees what is going on and decides to clear a little patch of land for a tiny garden of her own. Others observe and like the idea, and soon the vacant lot is covered with a patchwork of gardens from all sorts of people living nearby. Someone is able to bully the city into moving the trash off of this land. People who usually avoid eye contact at all cost are suddenly meeting neighbors and relating to one another. Through this garden project, a neighborhood of strangers becomes a real community.

I liked the characters in this story. They were all very vivid and their stories were well thought out. I also liked being able to see the different perspectives on this garden, and the different reasons people decided to plant things here.

I didn't like that each person's story was just dropped after it was told. I wanted the author to go back and write what the people were thinking. What did Kim think when her garden idea caught on? Was Sam able to stop the segregation he saw developing in the garden? I wanted some followup to each story.

Editorial Review:

Sometimes, even in the middle of ugliness and neglect, a little bit of beauty will bloom. Award-winning writer Paul Fleischman dazzles us with this truth in Seedfolks--a slim novel that bursts with hope. Wasting not a single word, Fleischman unfolds a story of a blighted neighborhood transformed when a young girl plants a few lima beans in an abandoned lot. Slowly, one by one, neighbors are touched and stirred to action as they see tendrils poke through the dirt. Hispanics, Haitians, Koreans, young, and old begin to turn the littered lot into a garden for the whole community. A gift for hearts of all ages, this gentle, timeless story will delight anyone in need of a sprig of inspiration.

The Carrot Seed 60th Anniversary Edition

Ruth Krauss

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 35 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

don't give up! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book had a huge impact on me as a child.

Everyone told the boy his carrot seed would not come up. Even the adults. My reaction was this: adults know everything, so why is this boy still trying? I was truly surprised when the carrot seed sprouted, and I clapped and cheered. My next reaction was this: maybe *I* shouldn't give up, even when other people tell me to. This is one of the greatest lessons I've ever learned.

I read this book to my own kids now, and they love it as much as I do.

Editorial Review:

Ruth Krauss, author of A Hole Is to Dig, has crafted a story almost Zen-like in its simplicity. A little boy plants a carrot seed and waits patiently, tending to it carefully, while everyone around him insists that "it won't come up." His conviction is steadfast, however, and sure enough, a carrot worthy of first prize at any state fair springs forth from the earth. Krauss's husband, Crockett Johnson (creator of Harold and the Purple Crayon), illustrated The Carrot Seed, and while the little boy is rendered with uncomplicated lines, all of his hope, confidence, and serenity shine through. The image that resonates most strongly in this minimalist tale is the unfaltering faith of the mild-mannered little boy. Young readers learn that standing your ground in the face of opposition and doubt can often result in twice the reward expected (even thrice the reward, if judging by the girth of this carrot). (Ages 4 to 8)

Planting a Rainbow

Lois Ehlert

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Wonderful book 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

My children have loved this book. With the pictures of the plants there are names next to each one. My kids liked to point and say the names of all of the flowers.

Pretty pictures and educational too!

Informative and Colorful. 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book would be perfect for a child who enjoys helping their parent with a garden, or a child mastering their color knowledge. It briefly explains the process of how a garden is started from seed/bulb, shows the growth of different colorful flowers and name the most common garden flowers. The pictures are basic but bold and color fills the pages which allows you to appreciate the next step in the process and the next page in the book.

A big hit with my toddler 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

My 1 1/2 year old loves this book. She even calls it the Rainbow book. I bought it because I am really into gardening and she loves flowers. It is a great book to teach colors as well.

Editorial Review:

This educational and enjoyable book helps children understand how to plant bulbs, seeds, and seedlings, and nurture their growth. “The stylized representations of flower species are labeled throughout, allowing young children to get an idea of how each flower type contributes to the rainbow effect.”--Booklist

The Magical Garden of Claude Monet (Anholt's Artists Books for Children)

Laurence Anholt

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Breathtaking journey for children into Monet's paintings 5 out of 5 stars.
17 of 17 people found this review helpful.

I have long been a fan of Linnea in Monet's Garden - so I was very excited to find this new series of books by Laurence Anholt. Anholt's approach to introducing children to these artists - he has covered Monet, Picasso, Van Gogh, Degas, and DaVinci - is to use their art to create the backgrounds and settings for his characters. This book in particular is my favorite of the series because it is crowned with a fold out of Monet's vivid Waterlilies with a tiny boat floating across it carrying the story's members - Monet and a little girl who happens upon his garden. Before it is over, the little girl plucks one of the lilies from the famous painting as a memoir. My daughter loves this picture - and it is almost surreal to me to see Monet's art coming to life in such a manner. I can hardly wait until she visits the museum and sees the real painting. Watching her make this connection should be very exciting.

Aside from this stunning mixture of Monet's work and Anholt's own lush artwork - carefully drawn to compliment the featured art - the book gives some great educational information about Monet by weaving it into the story - all this without ever starting to sound like a textbook. The story retains its' focus and its' charm without becoming boring. That is an amazing accomplishment in my opinion.

I hope to purchase the entire set for a lovely and educational Christmas gift. These are sure to become beloved classics. Any children's book that learns to entertain both child and parent equally often does.

Editorial Review:

Julie lives in Paris, but she longs to walk in a beautiful country garden. When her mother takes her on a visit to rural Giverny, Julie discovers a beautiful garden and befriends the man she believes is the gardener. In fact, he is the garden’s owner, the immortal artist Claude Monet. This is a title in Barron’s Anholt’s Artists Books for Children series, in which author and illustrator Laurence Anholt recalls memorable and sometimes amusing moments when the lives of the artists were touched by children. Anholt’s fine illustrations appear on every page and include reproductions of works by the artists.

Disney's Little Einsteins: Farmer Annie's Garden (Disney's Little Einstein)

Susan Ring

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Lacking 2 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

My 1 year old son loves the Little Einsteins show, so I bought him this book. I am sorely disappointed with the book, and my son doesn't care for it. It's a complete ripoff from the Farmer Annie's Garden episode, and doesn't add anything to it. There is only one lift flap per page. The book could use more substance.

Annie's Garden - A Great Book for My Toddler 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

My daughter really likes looking at this book. She enjoys telling us what things are and has fun lifting the flaps on each page.

A great little book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

A nice simple story with interactive "flaps" to open and lots of pictures to explore.

Farmer Annie's Garden is todder-perfect! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

We recently purchased this book for our 15 month old daughter. She LOVES the Little Einsteins and I was thrilled to find this book for her because it is only one of two board books out there about the Einsteins. It also is filled with flaps, large clear pictures of Leo, Annie, Quincy and June, and realistic photos of farm animals (perfect for her age where we are practicing what sounds the different animals "say"). I highly recommend this book and wish there were more like it as she is still too little to really appreciate the older paperback books.

Up, Down, and Around

Katherine Ayres

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Vegetable awareness, organic gardening, vegetarian fun! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This book is great in so many ways. My 15 mo. old loves it because it has a fun rhythm to it and because he hunts for little things on each page (the kitty, the dog, the butterflies, the vegetables). I like it because it shows kids how plants grow "Corn grows up. Carrots grow down. Cucumbers climb around and around. Peppers grow up. Potatoes grow down. Pumpkins vine around and around...." I also like that the children are gardening with their dad, and that this is (apparently) an organic garden...happy bugs, butterflies, worms, and birds are shown ALL over the plants (in a cute way, and a real way...not a gross way). At the end the family harvests their veggies and creates a veggie stew. Fabulous, positive book...makes natural gardening look fun, and kids learn about plants, too!

Editorial Review:

"An inviting introduction to the wonder of plants, food, and gardening. . . . Will be a favorite of teachers, students, and home readers alike." — KIRKUS REVIEWS

From seeds dropping into soil to corn bursting from its stalks, from children chasing butterflies to ants burrowing underground, everything in this vibrant picture book pulses with life —- in all directions! Sprightly illustrations set the mood for a rhythmic text that follows nature’s course to a feast of backyard bounty.

Backyardigans and the Beanstalk (Backyardigans)

Catherine Lukas

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Editorial Review:

Supergardeners Pablo, Uniqua, and Tyrone are so good at gardening that they grow a giant beanstalk. When they climb up the beanstalk, guess what they find? A giant named Tasha. Tasha is a grumpy giant, because she's sick and tired of eating mush all the time. Can the supergardeners help give this giant a green thumb? This fun adventure story is a great way to kick off summer and celebrate vegetables!

Jack's Garden

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Light hearted educational picture book for kids of all ages 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.

Whoever coined the proverb, "a picture is worth a thousand words" could have been talking about Jack's Garden by Henry Cole.
This book is an excellent illustration of how, step by step, a garden is planted and what the seeds and living creatures do from that point on. We get to see above and below the soil as the garden progresses throughout the season. There are all the names of the plants and creatures labelled neatly next to each, on the main page and in the margins. Best of all, the classic children's poem about the house that Jack built is modified into a catchy text for each picture that makes understanding the magic of a little garden ecosystem effortless for kids as young as three years.

Top notch illustrations and a unique format set this picture book apart and earned it a permanent place in my collection. I only wish I had it in hardback!

Editorial Review:

"Building on a rhyme that will be familiar to many children, author-illustrator Cole creates an enticing guide to creating a garden. 'This is the garden that Jack planted...' The final illustration presents a satisfied-looking boy surrounded by a lush, bird-filled flower garden....A concluding page of gardening suggestions serves as a springboard to books with more specific guidelines."--Horn Book.

Green Angel

Alice Hoffman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 80 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

yeah, yeah... 2 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Yeah, yeah, Alice Hoffman writes a young adult book, blah blah blah. I found this to be overly prosy and immaturely crafted. It tried to have a dark goth sense about it and perhaps that's just not my genre. I finished it in about an hour (it's only 116 pages long) so I can't rightly say it's "one I've put back down", but I wouldn't read it again or give it to a friend. I think I would have enjoyed this book when I was an early teenager and going through my "nobody understands me and my deep poetry" phase. So there's that going for it.

Editorial Review:

Left on her own when her family dies in a terrible disaster, fifteen-year-old Green is haunted by loss and by the past. Struggling to survive physically and emotionally in a place where nothing seems to grow and ashes are everywhere, Green retreats into the ruined realm of her garden. But in destroying her feelings, she also begins to destroy herself, erasing the girl she'd once been as she inks darkness into her skin. It is only through a series of mysterious encounters that Green can relearn the lessons of love and begin to heal enough to tell her story.

Pumpkin Pumpkin

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Good for teachers 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I teach English to a fifth grade that had very little instruction in the past. I gave this book to three girls and they could understand the meaning of words using the picture clues.One of them had never heard the word pumpkin before, let alone sprout or seed. Now they all have a better vocabulary. Last year I read the same book to a first grade that did not have English classes. I used the story to teach plant growth and sequence concepts.The year before I had also used it to teach subtraction and backward counting - Jamie saved 6 seeds. He plants one. He still has 5, and so on.
I don't teach Italian, but I am sure I would find a way to use this wonderfully illustrated book, if I had to.

All the children I've read this too loved it.! 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

I got this book many years ago, when I took care of a class of 4 year olds. They loved this book and read the book with me. Now that I have a child of my own (almost 2 years old) it is his favorite book. I read it sometimes 10 times a day and it has wonderful illustrations. I never tire of it and am looking to buy more of Jeanne Titherington's books.

Editorial Review:

Jamie plants a pumpkin seed in the spring and, after watching it grow all summer, carves a face in it for Halloween! But best of all, he saves some seeds that he will plant again next spring. "Truly a book for all seasons."--Horn Book.