Secrets of the Garden: Food Chains and the Food Web in Our Backyard [Hardcover]

Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld (Author), Priscilla Lamont (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: February 28, 2012 | Age Range: 5 - 9 years

Alice's family plants a vegetable garden each spring, and this budding naturalist reports all she sees about how the plants grow, what insects come to eat the plants, and what birds and animals come to eat the insects.  It's the food chain, right in her own backyard!

While Alice's narrative is simple and engaging, science concepts are presented in more depth in sidebars by a pair of very knowledgeable (and highly amusing) chickens! Noted science writer Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld knows how to layer information to make it accessible to a wide range of readers and useful for educators. And illustrator Priscilla Lamont's funny, friendly paintings make this a garden everyone will want to explore.

Kids will eat up this wonderful book of backyard science—and perhaps they'll even be inspired to eat their vegetables!

Editorial Reviews

Review

Starred Review, School Library Journal, February 1, 2012:
“The book will raise readers’ awareness of backyard food chains and encourage some students to try gardening themselves.”

Starred Review, Kirkus Reviews, November 15, 2011:
"Zoehfeld’s latest is a wonderfully informative and enjoyable journey through one family’s backyard garden, from spring planting to fall harvest. Covering a dazzling array of topics, the author still manages to hold onto a story line that will draw readers in and allow them to experience both the good and the bad right along with narrator Alice. Sure to become a standard go-to for elementary teachers and gardeners alike, this is bound to spark some backyard explorations."

Booklist, March 15, 2012:
"A natural for young gardeners, this picture book is also an appealing addition to classroom units on food chains."

Publishers Weekly, January 9, 2012:
"Filled with humorous, cozy, and informative details. This intimate portrait of a single garden points to how all ecosystems are connected."

About the Author

KATHLEEN WEIDNER ZOEHFELD was a children's book editor for more than 10 years before becoming a full-time writer. She has published more than 60 books for children, most about animals and natural history.

PRISCILLA LAMONT has illustrated dozens of books, including the Animal Rescue Team books by Sue Stauffacher, and Goose and Duck by Jean Craighead George. Whether drawing human or animal characters, Priscilla always likes to include some humor.

Product Details

• Age Range: 5 - 9 years
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (February 28, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517709902
• ISBN-13: 978-0517709900
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 0.4 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #86,158 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #12 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Nature > Gardening

More About the Author

Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld is the award-winning author of more than sixty books for children, including WHAT LIVES IN A SHELL?, an NSTA/CBC "Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children," and winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science's "Best Children's Book" award; WHAT IS THE WORLD MADE OF?, A Children's Book of the Month Club Main Selection; WHAT'S ALIVE?, also named an AAAS "Best Children's Book"; DINOSAUR TRACKS, "a great choice for even the most discriminating dinophiles" (School Library Journal); DINOSAURS BIG AND SMALL, winner of the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio "Best Book Award"; DINOSAUR PARENTS, DINOSAUR YOUNG, an ALA "Notable Book"; and SECRETS OF THE GARDEN, "a wonderfully informative and enjoyable journey through one family's backyard garden, from spring planting to fall harvest. Covering a dazzling array of topics, the author still manages to hold onto a story line that will draw readers in and allow them to experience both the good and the bad right along with narrator Alice. Sure to become a standard go-to for elementary teachers and gardeners alike, this is bound to spark some backyard explorations." (Kirkus)

Kathleen was a children's book editor for more than ten years before becoming a full-time writer. When she's not reading, researching, writing, or editing, Kathleen loves to spend her free time exploring, doing fieldwork, and preparing fossils for her local natural history museums.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is a marvelous way for children to learn about nature and food chains ... March 13, 2012

By D. Fowler TOP 50 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Mom and Dad gathered their family around them and went outside to check for the signs of spring. Alice smiled and she held some daffodils in her hand and her brother, Pete, looked toward the robin sitting on her perch in a tree. Daisy and Maisy, their two chickens, were wandering in the yard. It was getting warmer and soon it would be "time to plant the garden." Dad prepared the soil and the children began to plant lettuce, carrots, peas, and beets. Would they plant some catnip for their cat, Honey?

Daisy and Maisy knew all about composting and that "old leaves and vegetable scraps--along with a little poop from [their] coop" were good for the plants. Day after day, Alice and Pete watched the soil to see if any of their seeds had sprouted. Soon the sprouts were seen and Pete excitedly called for his sister to come see them. Each one of the sprouts looked different. Soon they became seedlings and the garden was on its way. Mom began to plant her potted seedlings and she put "potatoes the size of marbles in the ground." Everything in the garden was connected to nature and they would soon learn why.

This book is a marvelous way for children to learn about nature and food chains. Set up in a picture book format, this tale is fun to follow and an easy way to learn about the wonders of nature. The two chickens, Daisy and Maisy, are a dynamic, comical duo who lecture about the garden and how it connects to the food chain and food wed. For example, they have a chart and point out a variety of herbivores, carnivores, and tell us why they are omnivores. The whimsical, charming artwork is detailed and meshes well with the tale. I especially liked the panel of worms cultivating the soil.... The maze-like tunnels have text and the reader needs to turn the book this way and that to read it. This is an amazing garden learning experience that would be a perfect addition to any homeschool or classroom shelves you might want to add to your list! Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Sweet, informative, relevant book July 28, 2012

By E. B. Glass

Format:Hardcover

I read this book with my 5 year old. It was on her kindergarten summer reading list. We really enjoyed it! It does a great job of introducing the concepts of food chains and food webs in a way that was really understandable. When asked, my daughter was able to easily relate the information back to me. She really enjoyed learning about how the entire family enjoys the garden. Her favorite parts were the map of the garden and the talking chickens.

Many of our friends and neighbors are cultivating gardens and backyard chickens, so I am planning to give this book as a gift to several children in our lives.

5.0 out of 5 stars What a wonderful book for any child interested in nature June 13, 2013

By LINA

Format:Hardcover

I really can't say enough good things about this book:beautifully written, informative, with lovely side digressions and interactive moments with the food webs. You can pick and mix what's on the page, and race to the end (always good for tired parents!) or dwell on all the details for long car journeys. The illustrations are brilliant two - I hope these two pair up again!

5.0 out of 5 stars Gardening for children November 9, 2012

By mom and grandma

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a great book to introduce children to gardening. It has fun pictures, a good story line and informative facts about gardening from planting to harvesting, including pages about composting, worms helping garden, etc. My 3 year old grandson never tires of having this read to him. I also shared it with 2nd grade teachers who used it with their science unit on plants and plan to purchase it.

5.0 out of 5 stars A delight! July 14, 2012

By S. Read

Format:Hardcover

oh my, what a delight!!! It is quite as though someone decided to make a picture book of our backyard! As the sister and brother help plant the spring vegetable garden, their backyard chickens are along to discuss compost, food chains and food webs. Perfect picture book, from the hawks and robins to the worms and spiders. ' Two enthusiastic, heart-warming thumbs up from this small-homesteading homeschool mama. ' They even have a wood burning fire inside in the winter. :)