From seed to apple

Gr 1-3-These sources will help to answer children's questions about life around them. The eye-catching color photos on each spread are bright and substantial, but the "Life Cycle" illustrations on the final pages lack appeal and detail. The first title mainly focuses on the garden spider: how it lays eggs, guards them, and then dies. What the spiderlings do to survive after they hatch, how they spin webs to catch food, and mating before winter are discussed. One statement is confusing: "Adult spider that over-wintered mates in early fall." Apple focuses on the Red Delicious. The common frog is the subject of the last title. In all three books, a lead-in question or statement on the left keeps children focused on the basic texts. Young readers will find these titles interesting and their size manageable.-Sandra Welzenbach, Villarreal Elementary School, San Antonio, TX (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

These titles offer vibrant photos and a strong narrative text that describes the life cycles of familiar plants. Features include bold-print vocabulary words, life cycle and plant diagrams (though those explaining photosynthesis are confusing), and question boxes to prompt scientific thinking. Reading list. Glos., ind. [Review covers these How Living Things Grow titles: From Bean to Plant, From Seed to Apple, and From Seed to Sunflower.] (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.