Review by Booklist Review
Beautifully subdued watercolor and digital media illustrations, at times reminiscent of Jon Klassen's work, will draw readers into the text about the symbiotic relationship between flowers and their pollinators. In three sections, three nonpollinating animals are named, usually in rhyming couplets, but then rejected and replaced by three pollinators. Flowers are calling a desert deer. No, not a deer He can't even get near. They're calling a nectar bat to flap over here. Following is information on three featured plants: Cardon Cactus Lesser long-nosed bats have long tongues that can reach the nectar deep inside the bell-shaped flowers of the cardon cactus. These cactus flowers unfurl for just one short night. Not all the rhymes scan well, but they do not detract from the text successfully conveying information about each of the nine plants, animals, and insects and their reciprocal relationships. The importance of shape, smell, color, and pattern of flowers and other plant data is contained in two concluding sections titled Look at a Flower What Do You See? and Would You Believe --Owen, Maryann Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The team behind Have You Heard the Nesting Bird? returns to explore the way flowers seem to "call" to certain pollinator species in order to propagate. Gray's rhymes use poetic red herrings of a sort to engage readers: "Flowers are calling a desert deer./ No, not a deer! He can't even get near./ They're calling a nectar bat to flap over here." Pak's digitally altered watercolors capture a wide range of flora and fauna, from delicate Queen Anne's lace to pale moonflowers that attract moths by night. It's a sophisticated blend of scientific information and artistry. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Fiona Kenshole, Transatlantic Literary Agency. Illustrator's agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Productions. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Horn Book Review
What creatures do flowers attract, and what purpose do animals and insects serve in the life cycle of flowering plants? It's all about pollination. Short rhymed couplets and wide, striking floral habitat illustrations are combined with straightforward information on an array of variously colored, patterned, scented, and shaped flowers, with a bit about their pollinators. Observation tips and additional facts are included. (c) Copyright 2015. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Verse alternates with facts about pollinators, depicted with their preferred flowering plants.Gray establishes a playful pattern: In each of three successive double-page spreads, she pairs a nonpollinating animal and a pollinator. "Flowers are calling a little black bear. / No, not a bear! He doesn't care. // They're calling a butterfly / to dip from the air." Next, an anchoring spread gathers and names the three preceding plants, providing prose nuggets about their pollinators' preferences. Regarding the trumpet honeysuckle, "Hummingbirds use their long tongues to reach the nectar hidden in deep tubular flowers, and hover as they drink." The magnolia garners this revelation: "Beetles have been visiting flowers for more than 100 million years." Verse sections can be uneven. Often lovely coupletsrhyming or near-rhymingbump up against lines that don't scan well; in one case, the rhyme pairs a plural subject with a singular object: "Flowers are calling a rabbit to stop. / No, not a rabbit! It's not their habit to call a rabbit. / He might grab it! // They're calling a bee fly to visit their spot." Pak's pretty, digitally worked watercolors achieve equilibrium between stylized reduction and naturalistic verisimilitude. Two spreads visit flowers with nighttime pollinatorsa nice touch. Concluding prose invites children to examine flowers for elements like pattern, shape and smell, explaining how pollinators utilize these attributes. Although it has some textual flaws, this quiet, introspective work beckons readers to keenly observe. (fact page, website) (Informational picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
