Spring seeds

PreS-Gr 2--A "yummy rainbow" of fruits and vegetables is presented in this cheerful rendering of the plant cycle. From small seeds like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower to big ones like peach and avocado, the wide-eyed seeds are shown slurping water through straws underground and measuring their shoots and leaves on a ruler, while equally appealing fully grown fruits and vegetables hang out with friends and family. Brightly colored illustrations of potatoes and turnips growing underground, pumpkins and squash growing above ground, and beans and peas growing on vines are all included; familiar tree fruits such as apples and oranges, however, are only shown in group pictures. Funny asides like "Sometimes you eat the seeds instead of planting them" produces a cry of "Whaaaat!?! You've got to be kidding me!" from a group of seeds jumping rope together. Approximately one-third of the book is educational back matter and activities to be done with a caregiver's help, including a seed cycle diagram, instructions on planting seeds, a taste test, sorting and math activities, ways to explore the outdoors, seed art and music, and a removable memory game. There are some similarities between this book and Jory John's The Bad Seed, in particular the illustration of the sunflower seed, which is almost exactly the same. While anthropomorphizing the seeds is part of the illustrator's style, the similarities are too strong not to notice, and readers who have read both books will almost certainly see the resemblance. VERDICT An imaginative book about plant life for younger readers.--Sue Morgan