Within every tiny seed lies the secret of what's to come. First a shoot, then a stem, a leaf, a bud--and finally a brilliant sunflower reaching high for the sun. Join a young girl as she waters and watches, celebrating the everyday miracles of growth and life.
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Hello, little seed. . . . Do you really know everything / about sunflowers? With brief, lyrical lines of poetry and exuberant, uncluttered prints, this picture book follows a young girl as she plants a sunflower seed and watches it grow through the seasons, marveling at each stage—from the planting of the seed, with instructions that are written in its heart, to the emerging bud, like hands closed tight around a treasure. Finally, the sunflower blooms, and a glorious spread shows the girl, arms stretched wide, celebrating the flower’s beauty: You’ve made your own sun / up over my head. The poem’s seasonal shifts are abrupt, and a few lines feel as if they were chosen more for their sound than their sense: a sunflower seed is smaller than a word. But the girl’s contagious curiosity about each stage in the sunflower’s growth and the sun-soaked images of summer gardens will easily engage young children, and the basic presentation of the plant’s life cycle makes this a natural for classroom sharing. Preschool-Grade 1. --Gillian Engberg
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"Addressing a sunflower seed, a small girl contemplates the transformation from seed to sunflower and back to seed again, from spring planting through winter snow. The poetic lines are exquisite, philosophical yet concrete. . . .Chodos-Irvine’s bold illustrations, utilizing various ''nontraditional printmaking techniques and materials,'' juxtapose images of sunflower and sun and emphasize curving circular shapes that reinforce the recurring progression of life, the seasons and day and night. . . . The large, wonderfully patterned illustrations are perfect for sharing, and the ideas lend themselves to discussion and curriculum applications for young children." (starred review)
"The lyrical free verse is enhanced by Chodos-Irvine''s colorful linocuts. The blocky yet realistic prints fit the mood perfectly and bring subtle layers of interpretation to the words, as when tiny sunlike fireflies are added to the dusk scene in which the flower is ''thinking about the sun/even when it has gone away.'' Younger children will enjoy the concrete imagery while older readers will appreciate the effortlessly evoked themes of seasons, life cycle, and the miracles of nature."
(School Library Journal )
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More About the Author
SUSAN MARIE SWANSON is the author of Getting Used to the Dark: 26 Night Poems and the picture book Letter to the Lake, both illustrated by Peter Catalanotto. As a visiting poet in schools, she reads and writes poetry with children. Her reviews and essays about children's literature regularly appear in Riverbank Review, for which she is a contributing editor. Ms. Swanson lives in St. Paul, Minnesota.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Touching, vibrant book,
By L.R. Van Cott (New Milford, PA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: To Be Like the Sun (Hardcover)
This book is so simple, but it has become one of my favorite picture books...and as a college age library science major, I LOVE picture books! In this story, a little girl plants a little seed, and watches it grow into a tall sunflower. The words are touching and thought-provoking. Though the little girl in the story is talking to the sunflower throughout its life cycle, from seed to flower and back into seeds, it could also easily apply to a grandparent or other family member who had passed away, ending with the words, "I remember: you were taller than everyone. When the winter sky shivers with icy stars, I remember how hard you worked to be like the sun." The two layers of meaning (the sunflower's life and the life of a loved one) make this book that much more special. The illustrations are also lovely and perfectly suited to the text. The illustrator used different printmaking techniques, creating unique, vibrant images. Overall, I would highly recommend this beautiful book!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautifully illustrated poem for children,
By MK (Norman, OK United States) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: To Be Like the Sun (Hardcover)
I stumbled on this gentle book in the library, and fell in love with it. It teaches about the seasons and about the growth cycle from seed to seed. Inspired by the sweet poetry and vibrant illustrations, my three-year old son and I are heading out into the spring garden to plant sunflowers!
5.0 out of 5 stars
great!,
A Kid's Review
This review is from: To Be Like the Sun (Hardcover)
my son says "i love it! i'l like it even when my dad says its for little kids.
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