Once There Was a Seed (Nature's Miracles) [Paperback]

Judith Anderson (Author), Mike Gordon (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2010 | Grade Level: Pre and up | Series: Nature's Miracles

Nature's Miracles titles encourage children to explore the natural world for themselves by observing nature's activities. The books also encourage kids to take part in activities of their own that promote a sense of responsibility toward the Earth's plants, animals, and natural resources. Each book presents a cheerfully illustrated story about children who explore nature's wonders. Notes for parents and teachers that follow each story suggest activities, further reading, and Web sites related to the book's theme. Color illustrations on every page. The little girl in this story plants seeds with her grandfather, and then tends her new plant, giving it water and sunlight. Gradually it develops a stem, and then sprouts leaves and flowers, which are visited by insects that carry the flowers' pollen to create new plants.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

(back cover)
How does a seed grow into a plant that then forms new seeds? It's one of nature's miracles!

This book tells you the life story of a seed through the eyes of a little girl and her green-thumbed grandfather.

There are notes for parents, as well as suggestions for learning activities that will reinforce the information in the book.

About the Author

The author, Judith Anderson, writes extensively for children. She teaches Creative Writing at the University of Winchester. The illustrator, Mike Gordon, is an ever-popular and award-winning cartoonist. He has produced over 500 cards for Hallmark and over 300 picture books for various publishers. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series (March 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764144936
• ISBN-13: 978-0764144936
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.5 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #916,997 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great intro to life cycle of seeds, January 15, 2011

By 

Proud Mom (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Once There Was a Seed (Nature's Miracles) (Paperback)

Our 4 yr old loves this book. She asks us to read it over and over. The Illustrations are simple and delightful and accompanied by a brief description of what the seed is doing. This is a great introduction into the life cycle of a seed. It gives just enough information to your younger child to stay interested. I think it is great for ages 3 - 6. But it may also be a great book for beginning readers as well to read to themselves. It might be too simplistic for older children. Our two year old enjoys the photos and the story but does not understand the concepts. It would be great to read this book as you germinate a black eyed pea or kidney bean. We are going to do this shortly. we will probably use a ziplock and paper towel.

Here are some instructions and ideas from a useful website for kids we found: universalpreschool.com

Carrot Tops -- Slice off the top 1" or so of a carrot and put it in a shallow dish with water almost up to the top of it. Put it in a place that will get natural light and keep the dish filled with water. Eventually, the carrot will sprout green leaves and roots!

Kidney Beans -- This is a standard "science project" in classrooms, but it's lots of fun to do at home. Soak a handful of dried kidney beans in water overnight.

Then take a see-through plastic glass or jar and put a damp paper towel in it. Tuck some of the pre-soaked kidney beans (evenly around the container) between the paper towel and the container so that you can see it. Put it on a windowsill where it will get plenty of natural light, sprinkle the paper towels with water each day so they stay damp, and the beans will soon sprout.

The children will be able to see the roots and shoots! Once the bean growth is about 2" or so -- transplant them into soil -- they'll continue growing.

It is a great way to have fun with your children while teaching science and reading. These are great rainy day projects. The book is short. The projects just take a little time each day so it does not feel like a chore.