Jack's Garden [Paperback]

Henry Cole (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: March 28, 1997 | Age Range: 4 - 8 years

"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.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2?A cumulative story that traces a little boy's backyard flower garden from tilling the soil to enjoying the blossoms. The text delightfully catalogs the process in a take-off on the old rhyme "This Is the House That Jack Built." As the garden takes shape, readers see seedlings sprout and bud, flowers open, insects and birds visit and, at last, a lovely garden in full bloom. Each double-page spread is done in soft colored pencils on various colored background. The borders contain detailed labeled drawings of tools, insects, birds, eggs, and, of course, flowers. Instructions for starting a garden complete the presentation. A pretty book rather than a how-to, this would be helpful in a primary setting to introduce gardening or the growth cycle.?Beth Tegart, Oneida City Schools, NY
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Scientific American

Ages 4-9. A great way to show how the parts of nature connect and grow together... Cole is an elementary-school science teacher, and his nature drawings in colored pencil on colored paper make for joyful learning, both precise and lovely. Refers to reinforced trade edition. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 4 - 8 years
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Greenwillow Books (March 28, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 068815283X
• ISBN-13: 978-0688152833
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 0.1 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,835 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Botany
  • #12 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Astronomy & Space
  • #43 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry

More About the Author

Henry Cole is the celebrated illustrator of many books for children, including the Bad Boys series by Margie Palatini, and is also the author and illustrator of the novel A Nest for Celeste.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A book worth getting April 12, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

I'll share the review I wrote for The Home School Manual =======

Jack's Garden "This is the garden that Jack planted." The first double-spread illustration with these words shows Jack on the bare ground. Next, "This is the soil that made up the garden that Jack planted" and an underground picture of various creatures. The story repeats on each page spread adding a new line. This book is a winner. Excellent for reading practice and excellent for science with all the insects, birds, plants and so on illustrated and named.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Light hearted educational picture book for kids of all ages January 29, 2003

By A. Ryan

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

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!

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent plant book! April 23, 2003

By A Customer

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is outstanding! Far from being for just the pre-school/younger elementary set, it has a wealth of information which even older kids can benefit from. In addition to the text based on the House That Jack Built, it has labeled drawings of garden tools, insects in the soil, seeds, clouds,parts of plants, plants, butterflies, birds, and other insects. We (my kids ages 4 thru 10 and I) had fun pointing out the things we know and learning the ones we didn't. The illustrations are excellent- colorful and detailed. This book is a wonderful addition to homeschool unit studies on plants.