Seed School Growing up amazing

On busy spreads, cartooned "seed students" learn from teacher Ms. Petal how each of them grows at its own rate and into its own type of plant. One "little lost seed" (an acorn) eventually learns he's both like the other seeds and ultimately different. A hokey but effective enough kindergarten botanical lesson that can easily be applied to a child's own development. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A variety of seeds go to school in the fall to learn how to grow.One seed, falling from a height on the copyright page, lands, disoriented, amid the other students at Seed School, who all want to know what type of seed he is and what he will become. He can't answer them. Their teacher, Ms. Petal, leads the class in their learning: comparing and contrasting seeds, the needs of seeds, singing the "Growing Song" (no tune indicated), talking about the seasons, and learning about photosynthesis. Principal Bee, seemingly from Brooklyn, visits the class to talk about pollination: "Hey, howzz you doin' seedzz?" Throughout, the lost seed, the only one who doesn't know what it will become, takes humorous guesses as to his future: He has a "spiffy hat"; perhaps he will grow a hat vine? It likes singing; maybe a music plant? Graduation day comes with the winter weather, and the seeds disperse by water or wind or via animal. When spring arrives, they sprout and grow, except for the lost seed, who must wait many years before he finally discovers the wondrous thing he has become. Mangal's illustrations, which appear to be colored pencil and watercolor, portray the seeds as anthropomorphized individuals with tiny arms and legs and dot and line eyes and smiles.Paired with a nonfiction title to round out the learning, a fun (and punny) introduction to seeds. (Informational picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.